Sydney (AFP) – Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape told AFP the South Pacific island nation won't allow foreign military bases, even as Australia steps up its presence at a naval port seen as central to blocking China in any regional conflict.
Issued on: 29/05/2026 - 11:18
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PNG's remote Lombrum navy base sits 2,000 kilometres (1,240 miles) south of the US territory of Guam, on the other side of a stretch of sea analysts said is the fastest direct route out of the South China Sea to the South Pacific.Australia's military redeveloped the base for PNG at a cost of AU$500 million (US$358 million) last year, gazumping a 2018 Chinese offer to rebuild the port as Beijing expanded military training with the former Australian territory. Tender documents show that Australia's Department of Defence is now seeking long-term "living services" for an "Australian compound" within the Lombrum base from August.That would mean increased visits by Australian forces and vessels, but Marape said Lombrum was not a foreign base -- a sensitive issue for a country building trade ties with China and security cooperation with Washington and Canberra."Our policy is very clear. These are sovereign Papua New Guinea defence facilities," Marape told AFP in a statement on Wednesday."We work with trusted partners under treaty arrangements and defence cooperation agreements, but ownership and sovereignty remain with Papua New Guinea."Lombrum's Australian compound was built to accomodate workers during base construction, Marape said, adding that it is also used by "visiting personnel if required". "It does not in any way constitute a foreign military base," he said.An Australian defence spokeswoman said the redeveloped Lombrum base "will create further opportunities for joint training, exercises and ship visits between the Australian Defence Force and the PNGDF"."This would naturally involve Australian presence at the base from time to time," she said.
