In his new The Lowy Institute Policy Brief, my colleague Oliver Nobetau outlines a development roadmap for Bougainville in the context of its move towards independence.👇 lowyinstitute.org/publications/b…

Australia is concerned by the potential implications of China’s announced nature reserve at Scarborough Shoal in the SCS. We urge the parties to respect UNCLOS and the 2016 Arbitral Award, which found Filipino fishers have traditional fishing rights at Scarborough Shoal.

Japan to aid Papua's disaster preparedness, countering China influence asia.nikkei.com/politics/inter… Japan will provide PNG with heavy machinery used in disasters as Tokyo aims to build relationships with Pacific island nations in light of China’s growing influence

Australia set to sign ambitious defence treaty with Papua New Guinea afr.com/politics/feder… Set to be inked this week when PM Albanese attends the PNG’s 50th independence anniversary celebrations, it will “transform the defence relationship between Australia and PNG”.

Papua New Guinean DM on Australia: “We're not talking about interoperability, we're talking about totally integrated forces.” abc.net.au/news/2025-09-1…

A great pleasure to join Serena Sasingian talking to Nick Bryant on Radio National's Saturday Extra about my documentary PNG: Road to Independence. On air 9pm tomorrow September 16 #PNG

My The Lowy Institute colleague Oliver Nobetau was interviewed on ABC News RN Breakfast as Australia and PNG prepare to sign a new defence treaty.   abc.net.au/listen/program…

Authoritarian policing has no place in the Pacific aspistrategist.org.au/authoritarian-… Policing in the Pacific has never been about propping up governments; it has always been about serving communities. Beijing’s introduction of Mao-era policing into Solomon Islands was a sharp departure

Australia and Papua New Guinea to sign defense pact as China's influence grows abcnews.go.com/International/… Australia and Papua New Guinea are set to integrate their defense forces under a new security pact, aiming to curb China's security influence in the region

Australia and Papua New Guinea’s defense forces will be integrated under a new security pact that will be signed this week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Monday, as his government attempts to curb China's security influence in the region. abcnews.go.com/amp/Internatio…

From my colleague Marian Faa this morning on the Australia-PNG Pukpuk Treaty abc.net.au/news/2025-09-1…

“I think it suggests that this is a region at strategic play, and that China is relentless, and they use all venues of engagement to try to block and block initiatives like the ones that Australia has initiated” thenightly.com.au/politics/austr…

PNG and Australia have not signed their defence treaty today (due to much discussed cabinet delay in PNG) but the two PMs have signed a communique saying treaty is now agreed, and that it’ll be signed following cabinet processes. Also: both countries have termed it an “Alliance”

Story: PNG and Australia sign communique on new defence treaty, with the PM declaring final signature is only "weeks" away abc.net.au/news/2025-09-1…

The derailing of the Australia–PNG defence treaty at the last moment was designed to inflict maximum damage on James Marape’s domestic credibility, explains the The Lowy Institute's Mihai Sora. And he says it doesn’t look great for Anthony Albanese either. lowyinstitute.org/the-interprete…

Australia-PNG: When mutual defence becomes mutual embarrassment lowyinstitute.org/the-interprete… It was always going to be a hurdle for PNG to change its non-aligned foreign policy.

Australia's Albanese unable to clinch defense treaty with Papua New Guinea during visit abcnews.go.com/International/… Australian PM Albanese has been unable to clinch a defense treaty with PNG a week after he failed to land a security pact with Pacific island neighbor, Vanuatu

The last two weeks would have been pretty torrid for Australian politicians and officials in the Pacific, but it would be very premature to call this fortnight the graveyard of the government’s Pacific strategy abc.net.au/news/2025-09-1…

Pacific leaders reach agreement on big issues – but unity remains elusive theconversation.com/pacific-leader… via The Conversation - Australia + New Zealand

Mihai Sora writing in The Interpreter suggests the stalled Aust-PNG Mutual Defence Treaty, echoing Vanuatu, shows how Pacific domestic politics & sovereignty worries are slowing Australia’s bid for deeper regional security ties. 👉lowyinstitute.org/the-interprete…