Australia and Papua New Guinea on Monday concluded a historic agreement that commits each nation to defend the other in the event of an attack. The first such pact Australia has signed in more than 70 years is seen aimed at countering China’s influence in the South Pacific.
The deal, called the “Pukpuk Treaty,” is the first of its kind for Papua New Guinea, a former Australia-administered territory.
Under the accord, as many as 10,000 Papua New Guineans could serve in the Australian Defence Force.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told a news conference that the two countries commit themselves “to securing and shaping our future together” through the treaty.
Albanese said both sides have also agreed not to undertake any activities or sign any agreements that could compromise the treaty.
Papua New Guinean Prime Minister James Marape stressed the pact is not something that “sets up enemies.” He said his country has been transparent with China over the arrangement.
Marape told reporters the treaty was “not conceived out of geopolitics,” but out of “geography, history and the enduring reality of our shared neighborhood.”
Canberra has been actively seeking agreements with Pacific island nations amid growing concern over China’s strategic ambitions in the region.
AloJapan.com