Australia will gain access to Papua New Guinea's (PNG) military facilities and troops under a new deal that will see both nations come to each other's defence if either is under attack.
Australia's leader Anthony Albanese and his PNG counterpart James Marape signed the security pact in Canberra on Monday. It comes as China's influence in the Pacific grows.
But Marape said the pact was not born out of geopolitics "but out of geography, history and the enduring reality of our shared neighbourhood".
The pact will allow as many as 10,000 Papua New Guineans to serve in Australia's military. They will also have the option to become Australian citizens.
PNG has been "transparent" with China, Marape added.
