Debate over the Pukpuk treaty has focused on China and whether Australia’s military might one day use Papua New Guinea’s geography or fight alongside PNG forces in a regional contingency involving Beijing and Washington. But …
Articles by: "Mike Hughes"
Australia and Papua New Guinea’s Pukpuk Treaty is not just about keeping China at arm’s length. It’s also about long-term investment in PNG’s stability, strengthening its defence capacity, enhancing crisis response and addressing demographic and …
‘Australia is secure when Papua New Guinea is secure, and Papua New Guinea is secure when Australia is secure.’ So said Billy Joseph, PNG’s minister for defence, at the ASPI Defence Conference in June. This sentiment underpinned …
Australia must stop talking about being a middle power that punches above its weight. Talking about it is far less interesting to the rest of the world than Australia actually doing it. The occasion for …
Australia’s strategic environment is more threatening than it has been since World War II. Despite public recognition of heightened threats and a declaration of ambitious strategic goals, the government’s defence funding and preparedness efforts fall …