Papua New Guinea has likened a formal defence treaty with Australia to a fence protecting two homes and not a shield against Chinese aggression, after prime ministers Anthony Albanese and James Marape signed the agreement on Monday.

The Pukpuk treaty, Australia’s first formal alliance since the ANZUS treaty was signed in 1951, commits the near neighbours to coming to each other’s aid and to contributing to regional stability across the South Pacific, which is being targeted by China as part of its efforts to broaden its diplomatic reach.

The treaty was supposed to be signed in Port Moresby last month when Albanese visited the capital for the 50th anniversary of independence, but the PNG cabinet could not form a quorum in time to ratify the pact until recent days.

Similar to the ANZUS tr

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