The United States and Papua New Guinea have signed a contentious new security pact that is set to expand America's military presence in the Pacific Island nation and boost joint training exercises between the two countries.
The agreement was signed by PNG's Defence Minister Win Bakri Daki and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who also stood in for US President Joe Biden at a meeting with 14 Pacific island leaders in Port Moresby.
Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister James Marape has been facing political pressure over the defence pact, particularly after a leaked draft of the agreement suggested the United States was seeking access to PNG military facilities and raised the prospect of US personnel being subject to American military courts rather PNG's justice system.
University students held protests at campuses against the signing of the Defence Cooperation Agreement on Monday, while some opposition politicians have warned it might undermine the country's relationship with China.
But the final text still has not yet been made public, and Mr Marape has repeatedly said US troops would not be granted legal immunity in PNG.
Late on Monday, Mr Marape again reiterated that the agreement wouldn't "offend PNG law" but would help the country improve its military and become a "robust economy."
"This signing today in no way shape or form encroaches into our sovereignty … [or] terminates us from relating to other defence relationships or bilateral relationships we have," he said.
"This is a straight two way highway between the Pentagon and Murray Barracks, between Washington and Waigani, the US and PNG."
Mr Blinken said that the agreement would help improve PNG's military capabilities and lift its capacity to deliver humanitarian assistance and deal with disasters, as well as making it easier for both countries to conduct joint military training.
When asked about China's influence in the region, Mr Blinken said the agreement wasn't about "any other country".
"It's about our relationship with the Pacific Islands, and the shared vision that we have for this region," he said.
"This is grounded in … a shared vision that we have for a free and open Indo Pacific.
"What we're focused on is what our partners here are working on and trying to achieve in strengthening their capacity."
The two countries also signed a ship-rider agreement, which will allow the US Coast Guard to help patrol PNG waters.
Mr Marape said that would help his country crack down on drug smuggling and illegal fishing in PNG waters.
Mr Blinken said US partnerships with businesses would bring billions of dollars' worth of new investment to PNG, and the defence pact was simply an extension of an existing agreement signed between the two countries in the late 1980s.
"We will be fully transparent of the details of the agreement, which contains elements from our previous agreement and updates it to reflect our shared commitment to deepen cooperation on issues that matter most to people here, as well as in the United States," he said.
He also said Mr Biden had invited Pacific leaders back to Washington for another meeting at the White House later this year, after the landmark summit at the White House last year.
The US State Department said on Monday, the Biden Administration would provide $45 million in additional funding to help boost equipment for the PNG defence force and help the nation's government tackle problems like international crime and climate change damage.
