This week in Australian foreign affairs: Papua New Guinea (PNG)-Australia Annual Leaders’ Dialogue; China hands death sentence to Yang Hengjun; Royal Australian Navy sends officers and sailors to Guam under AUKUS agreement; new support for PNG Rugby, and more.

On 8 February, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Prime Minister James Marape held the fifth Papua New Guinea-Australia Annual Leaders’ Dialogue in Canberra. The leaders “acknowledged the cultural, historical and geographical bond that continues to build the closer connection between Australia and Papua New Guinea,” and “reaffirmed their shared commitment to the Comprehensive Strategic and Economic Partnership.” Further discussion was held on the progress of the bilateral security relationship signed on 7 December 2023, “covering traditional security cooperation, as well as non-traditional security cooperation on climate change, cyber security, gender-based violence and critical infrastructure.” Australia’s law and justice investment of AUD100 million to Papua New Guinea covers the period 2024-2027. Marape thanked Albanese for the opportunity to address the Parliament of Australia, as the first Pacific island leader to do so. In a corresponding speech at Parliament House, Albanese referred to Australia and Papua New Guinea as “the nearest of neighbours. The most steadfast and trusted of partners. And the very oldest of friends.” These remarks were joined by Leader of the Opposition Peter Dutton who expressed his wishes to extend the relationship further and beyond this “historic moment.”

Meanwhile, in an interview with ABC on 8 February in remarks to the question of Chinese security personnel in PNG, Foreign Minister Penny Wong stated that “Australia’s position is that the stability of the Pacific is best served by these security needs being provided within the Pacific family.”

Also on 8 February, the Minister for International Development and the Pacific Pat Conroy released a statement on the government’s plans to boost support for rugby league in Papua New Guinea. The assistance will come under the PacificAus Sports program, which “continues the Government’s partnership with the Queensland Rugby League as well as its support for the development of elite PNG rugby league players and PNG’s aspirations for an NRL franchise.” The government also seeks to “establish a national women’s competition in PNG and support a women’s talent identification program as well as build capabilities and credentials of PNG rugby league coaches, support staff and administrators.”

On 6 February, at a doorstop interview in Canberra, Albanese responded to the suspended death sentence of Australian citizen Yang Hengjun in China, noting that the government had expressed its “outrage at this verdict.” The government continues to “make representations at all levels.” The PM remarks follow the comments of Wong on 5 February at a press conference in Canberra, in which she stated that the government had communicated its “response in the strongest terms.” Wong summoned “China’s Ambassador to Australia to express our objection.” In a media release on the issue, Wong stated that the government “will continue to press for Dr Yang’s interests and wellbeing, including appropriate medical treatment, and provide consular assistance to him and his family.” In a television interview on Sky News on 7 February, Deputy PM and Minister of Defense Richard Marles expressed that the government is “appalled by this decision and we’ve made that very clear to the Chinese government and we will continue to make that clear to the Chinese government, and we will continue to advocate on behalf of Dr Yang.” These comments were also supported by Dutton, who expressed the need to “call out egregious behaviour” where necessary. In a joint statement with Shadow Foreign Minister Simon Birmingham, the opposition remarked that they support and expect “the Australian Government to respond with appropriate and strong action to this unwarranted and unjustifiable sentence,” further stating that “the Albanese Government must defend the rights of Dr Yang and apply the most effective diplomatic steps to ultimately secure his release and return to Australia.” Dr Yang has been detained since January 2019 on national security charges.

On 4 February, Australia joined Bahrain, Denmark, Canada, The Netherlands, New Zealand, United Kingdom, and the United States in a statement “on additional strikes against the Houthis in Yemen.” These included “36 Houthi targets across 13 locations in Yemen in response to the Houthis’ continued attacks against international and commercial shipping as well as naval vessels transiting the Red Sea.” On 27 January Houthis rebels struck and set ablaze the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker M/V Marlin Luanda.

Also on 4 February, a group of 37 Royal Australian Navy officers and sailors departed for Guam to embed on board USS Emory S. Land. The Navy personnel will spend up to five months on board the vessel “building the unique knowledge, skills and experience in how the US conducts nuclear-powered submarine (SSN) maintenance.” Marles remarked that “the opportunity for our Navy personnel to learn from our AUKUS partners demonstrates meaningful progress along Australia’s pathway to acquiring nuclear-powered submarines.” The Royal Australian Navy is projected to “support the first planned maintenance activity of a US SSN during a visit to HMAS Stirling in the second half of this year.”

Dr Adam Bartley is the managing editor for AIIA’s Australian Outlook and weekly columnist for The Week in Australian Foreign Affairs. He is a former Fulbright Scholar and resident fellow at the Elliot School for International Affairs, the George Washington University. Adam also has positions as post-doctoral fellow at the Centre for Cyber Security Research and Innovation RMIT University  and as program manager of the AI Trilateral Experts Group. He can be found on Twitter here.

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