US and Papua New Guinea poised to sign defense pact as Washington, Beijing vie for influence in the Pacific

News Snapshot:

CNN — The United States and Papua New Guinea are poised to sign a new bilateral defense cooperation agreement – a move that has sparked controversy in the Pacific Island nation and comes as Washington and China jostle for influence in the region. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Papua New Guinea (PNG) Prime Minister James Marape were scheduled to sign the pact and a maritime security agreement during Blinken’s visit to the capital Port Moresby on Sunday and Monday, the US State Department said Thursday. Advance text of the agreements were not released by either side, but the...