PORT MORESBY - Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese used a historic address in Papua New Guinea to call for a “swift conclusion” to negotiations over a bilateral security agreement, in the latest move by Canberra to counter Chinese influence in the Pacific.

In an address to Papua New Guinea’s Parliament on Thursday, Mr Albanese praised the close historic ties between Australia and its largest Pacific neighbour, saying that a bilateral security treaty would “honour our shared history of service” and be an “example to others”.

It was the first visit by a sitting Australian prime minister to Papua New Guinea in more than four years. During his trip, Mr Albanese was the first foreign leader to address the Pacific nation’s Parliament since the country was founded.

In his speech, the Australian leader said the two countries needed “a treaty based on deep trust and a treaty that builds on the family-first approach to regional security”.

Mr Albanese is embarking on a two-day visit after a Covid-19 infection delayed his original plan for a trip in December.

Australia has longstanding defence ties with Papua New Guinea, encompassing both its armed forces and police.

It is set to hand over four patrol boats to the country this year.

Papua New Guinea, which gained independence from Australian administration in 1975, is the biggest recipient of Australian aid – with an estimated A$480 million (S$441 million) scheduled for 2023.

The move by Australia to boost its relations with countries in the Pacific follows growing efforts by the Chinese government to expand its influence in the region.

The announcement that China had signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands in April 2022 sparked a diplomatic flurry in the United States and Australia, over concerns that it could allow for a Chinese military presence.

Mr Albanese’s government has acted rapidly to shore up ties with Pacific nations since its election in May 2022, deeply concerned by China’s expanding diplomatic, economic and military influence.

Australia signed a security pact with the Pacific nation of Vanuatu in December, just two months after sealing a defence agreement with Fiji. The agreements allow for greater military cooperation between Canberra and its Pacific partners on issues from domestic security to disaster relief.

Speaking in Canberra on Tuesday, China’s Ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian said Beijing wanted to cooperate with Canberra in the Pacific.

“We don’t see Australia’s relationship with Pacific Island countries as a challenge to China. And likewise, I hope that Australia will not feel that China’s normal relations with Pacific Island countries pose any kind of so-called threat to Australia’s national interest,” he said. BLOOMBERG, AFP