Papua New Guinea (PNG) Prime Minister James Marape may be trying to defuse the situation between the US and PNG following US President Joe Biden's false claim that his uncle was eaten by cannibals in PNG during World War II (WWII).
But Marape's response is blunt and carries a lot of weight in the context of the geopolitical tussle between the US and China in the Pacific.
Prime Minister Marape said in a statement, "President Biden's remarks may have been a slip of the tongue. However, my country doesn't deserve to be labeled as such."
"World War II was not the doing of my people. However, they were needlessly dragged into a conflict that was not of their making," he continued.
"The remains of World War II lie scattered all over PNG, including the plane that carried President Biden's uncle, Ambrose Finnegan," Marape noted.
"Perhaps, given President Biden's comment and the strong reaction from PNG and other parts of the world, it is time for the USA to find as many remains of World War II in PNG as possible, including those of servicemen who lost their lives like Ambrose Finnegan."
"The theaters of war in PNG and the Solomon Islands are many and littered with remains of World War II, including human remains, plane wrecks, shipwrecks, tunnels, and bombs. Our people live daily with the fear of being killed by detonated bombs from World War II."
Prime Minister Marape's statement drives the point deeper into the US struggle to win back the hearts of the Pacific despite being a major player in WWII.
Several media sources have criticized the US for being all talk and no action in the Pacific, while China steadily expands its influence in the social, economic, and political fabric of Pacific island nations.
This isn't the first such situation involving a US sitting President, a situation which China takes advantage of with open arms.
In 2028, US President Donald Trump skipped the APEC summit in PNG, sending Vice President Mike Pence in his place.
In 2023, PNG declared a national holiday in honor of Biden's visit, which would have been the first-ever visit from a sitting US president. However, Biden canceled the trip to deal with domestic issues.
"We are disappointed that this historic visit has been canceled as we have prepared well, spent a lot of time, effort, and energy towards the visit, and we were all looking forward to the visit," Powes Parkop, the governor of the National Capital District stated.
The US has hosted and participated in high-level meetings with Pacific leaders, signaling a renewed focus on the region. However, commentators view this as merely a power play, with concerns about ulterior motives underlying these engagements.
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In one sentence, what can PNG should taken action against the above information from Bidens speech