On February 5, US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Verma called on Papua New Guinea (PNG) to reject China's offer of a potential security treaty.
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| China is trying to 'intervene' in the security relationship between Papua New Guinea and the US. (Source: Gzeromedia) |
“We see that China’s commitment to defense or investment comes at a high cost. That’s what we want to say to PNG,” Deputy Minister Verma said in a newly published interview with the Sydney Morning Herald , Reuters reported.
The US and its ally Australia have had a presence in the Pacific for decades, but China is also seeking to increase its influence in the region, with Beijing signing a security treaty with the Solomon Islands in 2022.
PNG Foreign Minister Justin Tkachenko said last week that the country would soon enter talks with China on a potential security agreement.
According to him, China approached PNG in September 2023 with an offer to assist the police force with training, equipment support and surveillance technology. Negotiations between the two sides are still ongoing.
However, PNG said it had not agreed to Beijing's proposal and would assess whether it was consistent with the security and policy support that Australia and the United States had offered, and pledged not to do anything that would jeopardise its defence and security relationship with Canberra and Washington.
Foreign Minister Tkachenko affirmed: "At this stage, we cooperate with Beijing only in the economic and trade fields. China is one of PNG's largest trading partners."
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