PNG declared holiday for Biden’s visit, but he canceled.

Biden’s Canceled Visit to Papua New Guinea Deals Blow to U.S. Credibility in Pacific Island Region

U.S. President Joe Biden’s canceled visit to Papua New Guinea has left the Pacific island region disappointed and dealt a blow to U.S. credibility in the area. The visit, which had been viewed as a major step to build trust in a region where China has sought a greater security presence, was canceled due to an unfolding crisis over the U.S. debt ceiling. Papua New Guinea had declared next Monday a public holiday in honor of Biden’s arrival, and the cancellation was a “blow to U.S. credibility in the region as a consistent partner,” according to Mihai Sora, a Pacific islands analyst with the Lowy Institute think tank in Sydney.

Building Trust in the Pacific Island Region

The cancellation of what would have been the first visit by an American president to an independent Pacific islands nation could be a setback for relations, according to Asia Society Policy Institute senior fellow Richard Maude. “The mantra in the region is all about turning up. Turning up is half the battle. China turns up all the time, and so the optics aren’t great,” Maude said on Wednesday. The Pacific islands span 40 million square km of ocean, where vital sea lanes and submarine cables link the United States to its allies Australia and Japan. But leaders there had complained to the U.S. of being seen as “fly over” countries.

China’s Presence in the Region

Chinese President Xi Jinping has visited the region three times, including a 2018 visit to Papua New Guinea. Beijing last year struck a security pact with the Solomon Islands, where a Chinese state company will rebuild the international port. China has continued to lobby for a bigger role in the region, after failing to sign 10 nations to a security and trade deal.

Anger in Australia

Biden’s decision to cut short his Asia trip also provoked anger in Australia, where he had been scheduled to meet with a summit of leaders in Sydney. A Wednesday op-ed in the Sydney Morning Herald blasted Biden’s cancellation as “a disappointment, a mess, and a gift to Beijing.”

What Was Planned for Papua New Guinea

• Biden had been scheduled to meet 18 Pacific island leaders in the three-hour visit to the PNG capital Port Moresby.
• Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape told a radio audience a day earlier that his government was preparing to sign a major defence pact with the United States and a security agreement allowing U.S. Coast Guard vessels to patrol its waters.
• Some Opposition party politicians had criticized the pact as potentially upsetting China, a major infrastructure donor.

The cancellation of Biden’s visit to Papua New Guinea has left the Pacific island region disappointed and dealt a blow to U.S. credibility in the area. The visit was viewed as a major step to build trust in a region where China has sought a greater security presence. The cancellation was a “blow to U.S. credibility in the region as a consistent partner,” according to Mihai Sora, a Pacific islands analyst with the Lowy Institute think tank in Sydney. The Pacific islands span 40 million square km of ocean, where vital sea lanes and submarine cables link the United States to its allies Australia and Japan. But leaders there had complained to the U.S. of being seen as “fly over” countries. Biden’s decision to cut short his Asia trip also provoked anger in Australia, where he had been scheduled to meet with a summit of leaders in Sydney. A Wednesday op-ed in the Sydney Morning Herald blasted Biden’s cancellation as “a disappointment, a mess, and a gift to Beijing.”

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