Papua New Guinea leader makes historic address to Aussie Parliament

SYDNEY - In a historic address to a joint sitting of Australia's Parliament on Feb 8, Papua New Guinea (PNG) Prime Minister James Marape pledged that "nothing will come in between our two countries".

- Jonathan Pearlman

It was a line that his audience including Australian MPs from the Lower House and the Senate, as well as US Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy, and Australia's military chief, General Angus Campbell - wanted to hear.

Mr Marape was making the first address to Parliament by a Pacific leader a milestone that comes just as Australia has been trying to improve ties with Pacific nations amid fears of China's  growing reach in the region.

He did not specify what might "come in between" the two countries. Nor did he mention China.

But he was clearly attempting to reassure Canberra - and Washington that he is not planning to undertake any bold new security initiatives with China.

Since the Pacific nation of the Solomon Islands signed a secret security deal with China in 2021, Australia has been anxiously trying to prevent China from deepening its security ties across the region.

The Solomon Islands deal raised concerns in Australia that China might be allowed to establish a naval base there, a claim that Beijing and Honiara denied.

Both the United States and Australia recently signed security deals with PNG, which was an Australian colony until 1975, and believed that they have defeated China's attempts to develop a foothold there. The Australian deal will involve a A$200 million (S$175 million) investment in PNG's police and judiciary.