The leaders of Australia and Papua New Guinea signed a major bilateral defense treaty on Monday that China says is unfairly directed against it, the Associated Press reported, BTA reports.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his Papua New Guinean counterpart James Marape described the agreement as a mutual defense treaty that will allow for unprecedented integration of the two countries’ defense forces and military personnel.
It is Australia’s only alliance-level security pact, apart from its 1951 treaty with the United States and New Zealand. For Papua New Guinea, it is the first such treaty in history – signed with its former colonial power and nearest neighbour.
The treaty will come into force after ratification by the parliaments of both countries.
Albanese said it was “a great honour for Australia to have its closest neighbour become its newest ally“.
“This treaty contains a mutual defence obligation, similar to Australia's commitments under the treaty with New Zealand and the United States. In the event of an armed attack on either of our countries, we will both act to meet the common threat“,
Albanese said at a joint press conference with Marape at the Australian parliament.
He added that the two sides had agreed not to take any action or agreement that would compromise the implementation of the treaty.
After Albanese and Marape signed a joint declaration last month supporting the basic principles of the pact, the Chinese embassy in Papua New Guinea reacted sharply. In a statement, the diplomatic mission stressed that such bilateral treaties “should not be exclusive“ nor should they limit the right of states to cooperate with third countries.
“They should not be directed against third countries or undermine their legitimate interests“, the embassy's position also says.
For his part, Marape assured that the treaty does not undermine Papua New Guinea's traditional foreign policy - “friends to all, enemies to none“.
In recent years, the United States and Australia have strengthened their military ties with Papua New Guinea, which is considered a strategically important partner in limiting China's growing influence in the Pacific region, the Associated Press recalls.