Speaking at a joint conference with PNG Prime Minister James Marape in Port Moresby, the Pentagon chief underscored that the US' "focus is on strengthening peace and stability and prosperity in the region."
"We have a long-standing relationship with Papua New Guinea, and we share that vision for the free and open Indo-Pacific, and we both really respect the rules-based, and value the rules-based international order," Austin said. "The DCA [Defense Cooperation Agreement] builds upon decades of defense work, defense relationships and defense cooperation, and I think the DCA will go a long way in terms of helping us to do the things that are necessary."
"We work together to expand PNG capacity, to modernize their force and to increase interoperability. And I just wanna be clear that we're not seeking permanent basing in PNG," he noted.
Marape added that the "USA do not need PNG's ground to be a launching platform for any offensive anywhere else in the world" as the US has bases in the Philippines and South Korea, which are "much closer to China than PNG."
The prime minister noted that PNG has a "specific economic relationship" with China, and the Chinese government, through the embassy in PNG, has relayed to Port Moresby that they had "no issue whatsoever with us signing the DCA with the USA." Marape added that PNG "will not compromise our relations with China and other nations" by expanding defense cooperation with the US.
The official recalled that the US and PNG signed a shiprider agreement in May. Officials also negotiated and signed a landmark DCA that will deepen bilateral ties. The DCA is now being considered by the island nation's parliament.
Austin and Marape said that the DCA would allow the two countries to expand bilateral cooperation and would support the continued modernization of PNG forces, as well as work more frequently on exercises, training interoperability and defense-capacity building.
The shiprider agreement will allow PNG forces to ride along on US Coast Guard vessels patrolling the area. Austin announced that a US Coast Guard cutter will arrive in PNG in August for cooperation on "maritime law enforcement" to tackle illegal fishing and trafficking.
Austin became the first US defense secretary to visit PNG.