New security agreement grants US military unimpeded access to Papua New Guinea bases.

The US military has secured access to bases in Papua New Guinea, including the Lombrum naval base on Manus Island, as part of a security pact aimed at countering China's growing influence in the Pacific. The deal allows the US to station troops and vessels at six key ports and airports, with "unimpeded access" to pre-position equipment and have "exclusive use" of some base zones. The move comes as Palau's president has asked the US to step up patrols of its waters after several recent incursions by Chinese vessels into its exclusive economic zone.