According to an Indian embassy official, two Indian navy ships, the INS Kolkata guided missile destroyer and INS Sahyadri frigate, have docked in Papua New Guinea’s capital, Port Moresby, for a two-day visit.

Kedutaan menyatakan kunjungan ini bertujuan untuk meningkatkan kerja sama maritim dan keamanan di kawasan. India, yang memegang jabatan presiden bergilir G20, akan berpartisipasi dalam latihan angkatan laut Dialog Keamanan Segi Empat (Quad) di Australia bersama Jepang dan Amerika Serikat.

The presence of these ships highlights the strategic importance of Papua New Guinea to global superpowers like the United States and China and their allies. The Quad countries are seeking to prevent Pacific Island nations from forming security ties with China, which has raised concerns amid tension over Taiwan and China’s security pact with the Solomon Islands. In May, Papua New Guinea struck a defense agreement with the United States.

Pacific Island leaders have stated that rising sea levels due to climate change are their top security priority, given that their territories cover 40 million square kilometers of ocean. The recent naval port call follows Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Papua New Guinea in May, where he attended a summit meeting of Pacific nations. Several other world leaders, including those from France and Indonesia, along with senior U.S. and British officials, have also visited PNG recently.

Michael Green, CEO Pusat Studi Amerika Serikat di Universitas Sydney, mencatat bahwa Kepulauan Pasifik secara historis mendapat perhatian selama transisi besar dalam hubungan internasional, mengingat signifikansinya selama Perjanjian Angkatan Laut Washington tahun 1921-22 setelah Perang Dunia Pertama.

After World War II, the U.S. was “determined to keep the former Japanese islands out of the Communist bloc because they were critical to protecting the southern flank below Japan and above Australia,” he said. With China’s rise, Pacific Islands airfields and undersea cables have again come into play, he added.

China is PNG’s largest trading partner. Director of the Pacific Islands Program at the Lowy Institute think-tank, Meg Keen, said the recent push by China into security has “raised concern among Western countries with strong national interests in the region”.

“The U.S. is trying to secure a bilateral security agreement with PNG and show it is in the region to stay and will make a positive difference. To date its engagements have been modest,” she said.

Negara-negara Kepulauan Pasifik menyambut baik minat tambahan dari Barat namun akan terus menjalin hubungan dengan Tiongkok, katanya.

“The Pacific will want more than Pacific frequent flyers, they want genuine partnerships that deliver results,” she added.

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