Asia-Pacific

New Zealand, Papua New Guinea Sign Defense Pact Amid China's Pacific Push

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New Zealand and Papua New Guinea have signed a defense cooperation agreement aimed at strengthening security ties in the Pacific. The pact will expand cooperation through dialogue, military training, exercises and personnel exchanges. New Zealand Defense Minister Chris Penk said Pacific countries must work together to address increasingly complex security challenges. The agreement comes as China continues to expand its influence across the region.

NZ-PNG Defense Agreement

 

REPORTER:

New Zealand and Papua New Guinea have signed a defense cooperation agreement amid growing Chinese influence in the Pacific.

 

The agreement seeks to boost cooperation through dialogue, training, exercises and personnel exchanges.

 

On Instagram, New Zealand’s defense minister Chris Penk stressed the need for Pacific nations to work together against "complex security challenges."

 

Papua New Guinea has strong economic ties with China and recently closed Taiwan's representative office in its capital Port Moresby, a move likely intended to appease Beijing.