Australia and Papua New Guinea are on the verge of entering into a formal alliance, bringing our closest neighbour onto the same level of defence agreement as the United States and New Zealand and striking a blow against China's ambitions for greater influence in the Pacific.

The defence pact, also known as the Pukpuk treaty, was meant to be signed by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his PNG counterpart James Marape last month, only for it to be delayed because the latter could not get a full cabinet quorum together in time to approve the deal.

However, the cabinet has now green-lit the deal, and the Australian government has confirmed the treaty will go ahead.

"Last month, Prime Minister Albanese and Prime Minister Marape signed a joint communique for a Papua New Guinea–Austra

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