Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has left Port Moresby without signing a major defence treaty with Papua New Guinea, dealing another blow to his strategy of countering China's influence in the Pacific. The so-called Pukpuk mutual defence treaty was expected to be signed on Wednesday but was delayed amid concerns over sovereignty.
Albanese downplayed the delay, attributing it to commemorations of PNG's independence. Instead, the two governments signed a joint communique and pledged to continue negotiations. The treaty would lock both countries into joint defence arrangements in the event of a military attack and allow citizens of either country to serve in each other's defence forces.
PNG Prime Minister James Marape said the treaty was PNG's proposal and would not affect sovereignty, but former PNG defence force commander Jerry Singirok accused Albanese of trying to 'ambush' the PNG cabinet. Singirok warned the treaty could violate PNG's constitution if not amended.
PNG's foreign minister Justin Tkatchenko called the deal 'a work in progress' awaiting cabinet approval. The opposition leader in Australia, Sussan Ley, criticised the government for rushing for photo opportunities, calling the failure a 'serious foreign policy embarrassment'.
The delay follows a similar setback in Vanuatu, where the government paused a joint agreement with Australia earlier this month, seeking more work on critical minerals funding from China. Despite these setbacks, Labor remains confident both agreements can be signed in coming months.
