The Observer Network by Nguyen Jaki
On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the independence of Papua New Guinea, a Pacific island country, Australia originally planned to sign a major security and defense agreement with the country this week to upgrade the military relations between the two countries to the alliance level.
The new agreement will a "complete integration" of the military forces of the two countries and will allow new citizens to join the Australian army, enjoy equal pay and access to Australian citizenship.In addition, the agreement requires that if one of the two countries is under military attack, the other party must provide protection, and the activities of either party with third parties must not harm the purpose of the treaty.
However, the defence agreement was not finally agreed on the day, and the two prime ministers ended up signing a joint communiqué on Wednesday (17th).The Australian media explained that because the new cabinet has not passed the agreement, its nature has been downgraded from "the treaty" to "the communiqué".
Western media have repeatedly speculated that the deal would help Australia to balance China’s growing influence in the Pacific.
In response, at the regular press conference of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs held on September 17th, spokesman Lin Jian responded to this matter, saying that the biggest challenge facing Pacific island countries, including Papua New Guinea, is to cope with climate change and accelerate development. China is happy to see other countries strengthen cooperation with island countries and actively help island countries develop their economies and improve people's livelihood. At the same time, China believes that the cooperation between any country and island countries should adhere to the independent development of island countries first, be open and inclusive, and not target third parties.
On the 18th local time, the spokesman of the Chinese Embassy in Papua New Guinea also responded to the signing of the joint communique between Australia and Pakistan, "China has always adhered to the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries. We respect Papua New Guinea's right to conclude bilateral treaties with other countries on a voluntary basis. However, such treaties shall not be exclusive and shall not, for any reason whatsoever, restrict or hinder cooperation between sovereign States and third parties, and shall not be directed against third parties or impair the legitimate rights and interests of third parties.”
We hope that the Pakistani side will continue to adhere to independence and autonomy, properly handle affairs involving its own sovereignty and long-term interests, and work together with the Chinese side to safeguard the good momentum for the development of China-Pakistan new relations and mutually beneficial cooperation.
Australian media commented that since the contents of the treaty were disclosed this week, the statement issued by the Chinese Embassy is the "most severe public response" made by China to this matter.
On September 17, local time, the Port of Morsby in Papua New Guinea, the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, Malape (right) and the Prime Minister of Australia, Albani, signed a joint communiqué.
According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), China is one of Papua New Guinea's most important economic and trade partners. Domestic defense experts in Papua New Guinea are worried that the high-level defense agreement signed with Australia may put pressure on the country's relations with China.
Michael Kabuni, a Pakistani political scholar at Australian National University, also questioned in a blog post whether the treaty meets the new real security needs of Pakistan.
He believes that the defense treaty contradicts the long-standing neutrality policy of “friend with all countries and not enemy to any country” pursued by Pakistan, which could have a significant impact on the growing economic relationship between Pakistan and China.
Instead of raising the level of combat readiness of the armed forces, or even promising to send troops to participate in operations abroad, there are more urgent priorities to address.
“What Pakistan really needs is a coastal guard system, specifically including maritime patrol, satellite surveillance, fishing law enforcement, customs and border police, engineering forces and disaster response teams,” wrote Kabni, “land border control also needs similar investments; and for tribal conflict and crime, the best solution is to expand the police force, equip the police, and introduce the latest technology.”
Bobin also warned that Pakistan is known for its political instability, increasing investment in defense forces or further undermining national stability, taking Fiji as an example, saying that “an army that allocates resources far beyond a reasonable proportion could become a political threat.”
In addition, Mr. Boone emphasizes another hidden danger: in Papua New Guinea, people generally have obligations toward tribes or tribes, which can lead to the flow of military weapons into “tribal conflicts, thus triggering violent events or beyond the scope of state control.”
At the same time, the Australian media noted that on the day of signing the joint communique, both Australia and Papua New Guinea denied the statement that "China exerted pressure to obstruct the signing of the agreement".
It is that at a joint press conference, on the Australian media hype that "China will use the delay of the agreement to hinder the achievement of the defence agreement", Prime Minister Malapé expressed a clear opposition to this claim.
He said, "We should give China due respect. They have always been long-term friends of Papua New Guinea. At the same time, China also clearly knows that we have the right to choose our own security partners."
At the close of the conference, Malape further revealed that he would send Defense Secretary Joseph to China and other countries with security interests in the region "to explain to the parties the specific content and meaning of the treaty."
“For the past 50 years, China has been a good friend of Pakistan,” he reiterated, adding that China “absolutely hasn’t” pressured Pakistan not to sign a defense agreement with Australia.
Australian Prime Minister Albany also denied that "Australia is eager to reach an agreement to exclude China," while stressing that no foreign power is currently trying to undermine the signing process of the treaty.
Although the two governments insisted that the delay was only temporary and the text had been agreed, Don Rothwell, a professor of international law at the National University of Australia, noted that it was still possible for the two countries to make changes to the content before the final signing.
“From a technical point of view, negotiations are still ongoing before the treaty is signed.Therefore, the new Cabinet of Ministers called for an adjustment of the text of the treaty, and this possibility still exists,” he said.
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