China cast-off: PNG discusses Bougainville self-rule amid security pact with Australia

Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister James Marape says Bougainville must achieve economic independence and disarmament before it can become an independent nation.

Marape's comments come amid discussions with delegates from the Autonomous Bougainville Government in Port Moresby this week, prompting backlash from critics. Many accuse the PNG government of trying to undermine Bougainville's path to independence.

A declaration issued last week indicates Bougainville will gain independence on 1 September 2027. The negotiations underway in Port Moresby with the PNG government are focussed on how this transition will occur, rather than whether it will happen.

Baron Waqa, the Secretary-General of the Pacific Islands Forum, says the PIF has not received any formal proposals and that the leaders will ultimately decide it later this year.

"But we're keeping a close watch on the developments on the ground," he told a media conference this week. "We will also be paying attention to our member Papua New Guinea.

"That's up to Papua New Guinea. It's their prerogative. But if this matter is raised formally, even by Bougainville themselves, we can discuss it.

Helen Hakena, a Bougainville peace campaigner, says both PNG and Bougainville do not want to return to the violent conflict of the independence war.

She says PNG's focus should be on internal security. "In the Highlands, in Port Moresby, everywhere, there are guns around, people are fighting ... he should look at his backyard first," Hakena told the ABC.

The Bougainville discussions also come as PNG strengthens its engagement and improves military cooperation with Australia in response to growing tensions caused by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in the Pacific region.

From left, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Bougainville President Ishmael Toroama, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape, and China's President Xi Jinping. Photo/Supplied

A historic A$600m (NZ$656..4m) deal to establish a Papua New Guinea National Rugby League (NRL) team has dashed China’s hopes for a security pact with Australia’s nearest neighbour. Well, for at least a decade.

Beijing’s destabilising actions include its secretive 2022 security pact with the Solomon Islands and its recent live-fire drills in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand.

Wellington and Canberra condemned the Chinese naval exercise, claiming they were unaware of the operation. But China says it alerted Aotearoa and Australia about the live-fire drills, and PNG was also told. In fact, Port Moresby was aware of the drills before Wellington and Canberra.

China and PNG's relationship will continue evolving, given that Marape met President Xi Jinping at the APEC summit in November 2022 and was invited to Beijing in 2023.

Fifty years after PNG formed its Defence Force and achieved independence from Australia, troops from both nations are set to serve in each other’s forces under a proposed defence treaty.

The pact, which follows a 2023 bilateral security agreement, builds on the nations’ “unique history and closeness,” PNG and Australian defence ministers announced last month.

The enduring relationship “was born out of conflict in the Pacific” during World War II, PNG Defence Minister Dr Billy Joseph says.

“It is important that, with geopolitics and all the different contests … we have consciously decided to choose who should be our friends as far as security is concerned,” Joseph says. “And it is fitting that on the eve of the 50th anniversary of our country, we’re looking at having a bilateral security treaty with Australia.

“We want to thank the Australian government for bringing Talisman Sabre to PNG for the first time. Part of the exercise will be conducted on PNG soil.”

Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles says the exercise, during which three Chinese warships entered Australia’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), was “not unprecedented, but unusual", media reports.

Under their security deal, Australia is investing A$130m (NZ$142.2m) for infrastructure and training to help PNG double its police force to 10,000 officers.

Watch PNG Defence Minister Dr Billy Joseph announce that his country is negotiating a defence agreement with Australia.

PNG's defence forces conduct regular bilateral exercises such as Olgeta Warrior and Puk Puk, while Australia provides PNG with assets, including light transport aircraft.

In 2023, PNG troops participated for the first time in the Australia-hosted Talisman Sabre, and Joseph and Marles announced that PNG would stage a portion of the biennial drills in mid-2025.

This will be the first time the multinational exercise has ventured beyond Australia.

In another historic move, a PNG officer was appointed deputy commander of the Australian Army's 3rd Brigade.

Days after Joseph and Marles met in Brisbane, Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) fighter jets stopped for refuelling in Port Moresby en route to northern Australia after participating in exercise Cope North in Guam with Japan and the United States.

The PNG Post-Courier newspaper reported they were the first RAAF F-35s to land in the island nation.

Baron Waqa, secretary-general of the Pacific Islands Forum, says they are closely monitoring developments in PNG. Photo/PIF

Marape also outlined a 20-year blueprint for modernising the nation’s forces, including:

• Investing in training and equipment to create a professional force comprising three land battalions and 5000 to 7000 personnel.

• Establishing a joint Air Wing to support law enforcement and defence operations, disaster response, and other national security initiatives.

• Expanding logistical and support capabilities, such as engineering and medical services, to reduce reliance on private contractors.

• Providing military training for civilians and activating a reserve force to ensure crisis preparedness.

“We must rebuild our Defence Force to be among the best in the region,” Marape says. “A strong, well-equipped military is vital to protecting our sovereignty and ensuring national security in an increasingly complex world.”

PNG Defence Force personnel participate in a group discussion during the Gender Focal Point training. There are 17,500 (20.6 per cent) women serving in the PNGDF. Photo/USINDOPACOM

Separated from Australia by 150 kilometres of the Torres Strait, PNG was administered by its southern neighbour for decades before achieving independence in 1975.

Its Defence Force was formed from Australian Army and Pacific Islands Regiment personnel. A half-century later, the proposed defence treaty “would make it easier for Australia and PNG to support each other’s security and contribute to the collective security of the region,” Joseph and Marles stated in a joint statement.

“The closeness and respect between both forces was forged by standing shoulder-to-shoulder during the darkest days of World War Two.

“While much has changed in the 50 years since independence, our unique defence ties have only strengthened.”

Watch PNG and Australian Defence Forces in a joint training exercise.