Papua New Guineans cleared to join the Australian military under historic pact - News24

Under the Australia–PNG defence treaty, Papua New Guinean citizens will be able to enlist in the Australian Defence Force, an unusually deep form of military integration with a sovereign neighbour. For Australia it addresses chronic ADF recruitment shortfalls while binding PNG's security establishment more tightly to Canberra at a time when Beijing has been pursuing policing and security arrangements across the Pacific. The arrangement also raises practical questions of citizenship, vetting and reciprocal obligations that will shape how durable the alignment proves.