Australia and Papua New Guinea Strengthen Security Ties with New Defence Pact

Fri Oct 10 2025 20:51:02 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

In a pivotal move, Australia signs a defence agreement with Papua New Guinea, enhancing military cooperation and addressing regional security concerns.

Australia has formalized a defence agreement with Papua New Guinea (PNG), marking a significant step in regional security amidst growing Chinese influence in the Pacific. The treaty establishes mutual military support and allows up to 10,000 PNG citizens to join the Australian military, with pathways to citizenship. This agreement, addressed under the Pukpuk Treaty, signifies deeper ties between the two nations as they navigate geopolitical challenges in the region.

Australia will gain access to Papua New Guinea's (PNG) military facilities and troops under a key deal that will see the nations come to each other's aid if either is attacked.

Both governments say the deal was born from a yearslong alliance between the two Pacific neighbours, but experts say it is aimed at countering China's growing influence in the region.

The deal ensures China will not have the same access to infrastructure in PNG as it does in other Pacific Islands, said Oliver Nobetau, project director of the Lowy Institute's Australia-PNG network.

It will allow as many as 10,000 Papua New Guineans to serve in Australia's military, and give them the option to become Australian citizens.

With nearly 12 million people, PNG is the largest and most populous South Pacific nation.

China has already significantly shored up trade with Pacific Island nations in recent years, and is now trying to establish diplomatic and security beachheads across the region.

In response, Canberra last December struck a deal to invest A$190m ($126m) into the Solomon Islands police force and set up a police training centre, with a similar agreement in place with Tuvalu.

The Pukpuk Treaty, named after the word for crocodile in PNG pidgin, notes that an armed attack on either country would be dangerous to the other's peace and security, so both should act to meet the common danger.

The agreement will also help address Australia's recent struggles in military recruitment, with PNG providing capable citizens eager for opportunities within the Australian armed forces.

Critics, however, have raised concerns that the treaty may undermine PNG's long-standing foreign policy of neutrality.

PNG Prime Minister James Marape emphasized that the deal is born from historical ties rather than geopolitical motives, asserting that PNG maintains a transparent relationship with China.

Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese remarked that the alliance exemplifies a commitment to the Pacific's stability and security, ensuring that both countries can effectively respond to emerging threats.