US signs defense pact with Papua New Guinea amid rising China influence.

The United States and Papua New Guinea signed a security agreement on Monday, which is part of broader American efforts to counter growing Chinese influence in the Pacific region. The two countries also signed a maritime surveillance agreement, and the United States agreed to provide the developing nation of 10 million people with $45 million in equipment and assistance. The security pact was supposed to be the defining moment from a historic trip for President Biden, who would have been the first sitting U.S. president to visit a Pacific island nation. However, Biden’s decision to cancel the visit due to the U.S. debt crisis was a blow for American credibility in the Pacific.