New Zealand and Papua New Guinea signed a defense cooperation agreement late Wednesday, marking the latest move by Western-aligned nations to counter China's expanding influence across the Pacific through diplomatic, policing and infrastructure initiatives.
New Zealand Defense Minister Chris Penk and his Papua New Guinea counterpart Elias Kapavore signed a Statement of Intent on Defense Cooperation for 2026-2029 in Papua New Guinea, Penk's office said. The agreement will expand defense dialogue, training, military exercises and personnel exchanges.
"In an increasingly volatile world, Pacific nations like ours are stronger when we work closely together," Penk said in a statement.
Western Security Push Accelerates
The deal adds to a quickening push by Australia, New Zealand and the United States to lock in Pacific security ties as China expands its diplomatic, policing and infrastructure footprint across the region. Washington signed a defense cooperation agreement with PNG in 2023 that gives U.S. forces easier access for training and infrastructure work. That pact is now in its third year.
Australia has followed security deals with PNG and Vanuatu with a new mutual-defense pact with Fiji, branded the Ocean of Peace Alliance, that officials have said could open to other Pacific nations.
The flurry of deals follows concern among Western-aligned governments that while Beijing was unable in 2022 to secure a region-wide pact with Pacific island nations, it's gained ground through policing and security ties, including with the Solomon Islands. PNG's recent move to close Taiwan's office in Port Moresby has further underscored the pressure on Pacific governments as they try to balance security support from traditional partners with economic ties to China.
Rubio, Wang Discuss Xi Visit Amid Regional Tensions
At a regional gathering in Manila led by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chinese counterpart Wang Yi discussed a visit to the U.S. in September by Chinese President Xi Jinping. Rubio said he and Wang discussed at length the need to lay the groundwork for a "very positive visit" by Xi, and it was their job to manage the big differences between the two countries and ensure they didn't get out of control.
Wang, on his part, demanded that the U.S. "respect China's core interests ... effectively manage differences and disagreements, and address China's legitimate concerns," according to an official Chinese summary, which called the meeting "pragmatic, positive, and constructive." Wang and Rubio agreed to "make sound preparations for the next stage of high-level exchanges," Wang's ministry said in a statement.
The broader ASEAN meeting in Manila came amid a flare-up in the conflict between the U.S. and Iran, and while tensions simmered between Beijing and close U.S. ally the Philippines over an incident in the South China Sea on Monday that led each to summon the other's ambassador.
Iran and South China Sea Flashpoints
Meeting with foreign ministers of ASEAN, who expressed concerns about the Middle East war, Rubio put the blame squarely on Iran.
"The problem we're having right now is that they're not serious about talks," he said. "If they're serious, we're serious. If they're not, then we will do what's necessary to protect our interests, and also the interests of our allies."
He stressed that Iran couldn't be allowed to control the Strait of Hormuz, as it could set a dangerous precedent for other parts of the world.
Rubio's remarks followed his opinion piece in Philippine media on Tuesday that aimed at Beijing's conduct in the South China Sea, warning of "dire new threats" if those waters were to "fall under the control of a power willing to use commerce as a geopolitical weapon." Beijing claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea via a line on its maps that cuts into the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam, and is at the center of long-running disputes over a multitude of islands and features.
Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Monday's altercation between China's coast guard and Philippine navy personnel in the South China Sea was risky and destabilizing. "The countries of the region have a choice to make about how we all respond to that," Wong told reporters. China's foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Australia had no right to intervene in the South China Sea issue and urged relevant countries to stop stirring up tension and inciting confrontation.
Why This Matters:
The New Zealand-PNG defense agreement represents a concrete response to China's fourth year of steady gains in Pacific influence since its failed 2022 attempt at a region-wide security pact. Traditional security partners are now racing to formalize defense cooperation before Beijing's economic leverage translates into permanent strategic advantage. PNG's closure of Taiwan's Port Moresby office demonstrates the pressure Pacific nations face when choosing between Western security guarantees and Chinese economic investment. The upcoming September visit by Xi Jinping to the U.S. will test whether Washington can manage competition with Beijing while maintaining credible deterrence in both the Pacific and critical maritime chokepoints like the Strait of Hormuz. Monday's South China Sea incident shows how quickly diplomatic tensions can escalate when territorial claims clash with freedom of navigation principles that underpin regional commerce and security.