Australia and Papua New Guinea are on the verge of entering into a formal alliance, bringing our closest neighbour onto the same level of defence agreement as the United States and New Zealand and striking a blow against China’s ambitions for greater influence in the Pacific.

However, the cabinet has now green-lit the deal, and the Australian government has confirmed the treaty will go ahead.

“Last month, Prime Minister Albanese and Prime Minister Marape signed a joint communique for a Papua New Guinea–Australia mutual defence treaty,” a government spokesperson said.

“As the leaders said at the time, that treaty would be signed following cabinet processes in both countries.”

Under the agreement, which was proposed by Papua New Guinea, the two countries will treat an armed attack on one as a “danger to the peace and security” of the other.

It will also pave the way for greater integration and interoperability between the two nations’ militaries, and create a pathway for PNG citizens to be recruited into the Australian Defence Force.

“This treaty will elevate our relationship with PNG to an alliance – the first in over 70 years and only our third overall,” the government spokesperson said.

“It puts our relationship with PNG on the same level as we have with the United States and New Zealand and builds on the already strong bonds between our defence forces, our economies and our people.”

Getting the agreement over the line will be seen as a major feather in the cap for Canberra as it seeks to strengthen its position as the defence partner of choice for Pacific nations, even as China seeks to gain a military foothold in the region.

Marape had previously said that while he wants Australia to be his country’s security partner of choice, he still sees China as a crucial friend of PNG.

“China has been an enduring friend of PNG for the last 50 years,” he said last month.

“It’s in our shared interests to do it, it is nothing against our relationship with them. We ask that they respect our choice of security partners.”

Last month’s delay in signing the PNG alliance came immediately after another delay in getting a similar agreement with Vanuatu over the line, but Oceania security consultant Blake Johnson said the cabinet approval for the Pukpuk treaty showed Australia was progressing well in the Pacific.

“It will be important to remember that fact when thinking about Vanuatu and any other potential future agreements.

“Lost in the noise of the past month’s events were indications from both Fiji and Tonga that they, too, would like to pursue deeper agreements with Australia. 

“This is another sign that Australia is not failing in the region.”