A warm embrace has marked defence treaty talks between Australia and Papua New Guinea, giving the cold shoulder to China's Indo-Pacific influence. Login or signup to continue reading. But the PNG government backed up last year's claim Australia should be its security partner of choice, with negotiations in Queensland ensuring they were "tied to the hips".
The talks were set to mark the most significant defence agreement between the two nations since PNG's independence from the Commonwealth in , Mr Marles said.
A policing deal signed between Beijing and the Solomon Islands alarmed Australia and the United States, with concerns it opened the door to a potential Chinese naval base in the region. Beijing also approached Port Moresby with a policing deal following the outbreak of deadly tribal violence which the nation struggled to get under control. But the Australia-PNG talks in Brisbane appear to be a rebuke to Beijing's influence, with a bilateral agreement set to create a framework for the two militaries to step up their co-operation across security areas.
The defence treaty would have extra significance with PNG marking 50 years of independence from Australia in More than defence force personnel from both countries travelled for joint training and exercises last year under the Australia-PNG defence partnership. He thanked Dr Joseph for his ambition in expanding the defence relationship, which would be taken to the "next level". Today's top stories curated by our news team. Close to the ground.
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