US signs new security pact with Papua New Guinea amid competition with China

By NICK PERRY
Associated Press

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (AP) — The United States has signed a new security pact with Papua New Guinea as the U.S. continues to jostle with China for influence in the Pacific. Papua New Guinea is strategically located and its nearly 10 million people are the most among Pacific Island nations. The State Department says the agreement will help improve security cooperation, enhance Papua New Guinea’s defense capacity and increase regional stability. But many in the Pacific are concerned about the increasing militarization. China warned against the introduction of “geopolitical games” in the region before U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived Monday. His visit coincides with a trip by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is meeting with Pacific leaders to discuss better cooperation.