Key facts
- New Zealand and Papua New Guinea signed a Statement of Intent on Defence Cooperation for 2026-2029.
- The agreement aims to expand defence dialogue, training, military exercises, and personnel exchanges.
New Zealand and Papua New Guinea have signed a defence cooperation agreement for 2026-2029, aiming to deepen security ties amid growing strategic competition and China's expanding influence in the Pacific.
The agreement underscores the intensifying geopolitical competition in the Pacific, as nations like New Zealand, Australia, and the U.S. seek to counter China's growing influence through enhanced security cooperation with regional partners.
New Zealand and Papua New Guinea have signed a defence cooperation agreement for the period of 2026-2029, as Wellington seeks to bolster security partnerships in the Pacific amidst increasing strategic competition and China's growing regional influence.
New Zealand Defence Minister Chris Penk and his Papua New Guinea counterpart Elias Kapavore signed the Statement of Intent on Defence Cooperation in Papua New Guinea. The agreement is designed to enhance defence dialogue, military training, joint exercises, and personnel exchanges between the two nations.
Penk stated that in a volatile global landscape, Pacific nations benefit from close collaboration. This development occurs as Australia, New Zealand, and the United States intensify efforts to secure Pacific security ties, countering China's expanding diplomatic, policing, and infrastructure presence in the region.
The United States previously signed a defence cooperation agreement with Papua New Guinea in 2023, facilitating U.S. forces' access for training and infrastructure projects. Australia has also pursued security deals with Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu, and recently established a mutual-defence pact with Fiji called the Ocean of Peace Alliance, which may extend to other Pacific nations.
These security pacts follow concerns from Western-aligned governments about China's increasing influence through policing and security arrangements, despite failing to secure a region-wide pact in 2022. Papua New Guinea's recent decision to close Taiwan's office in Port Moresby highlights the pressure on Pacific governments to balance security support from traditional partners with their economic relationships with China.