Is the U.S. Relationship with Australia Detrimental to Strategic Aspirations with Papua New Guinea?

“Is the U.S. Relationship with Australia Detrimental to Strategic Aspirations with Papua New Guinea?” is the title of a paper written by DKI APCSS professor Dr. Deon Canyon  and Michael Kabuni for Security Nexus. This article discusses the pitfalls of the U.S. – Australia relationship, and how they relate to Papua New Guinea.

Excerpt
The United States partnership with Australia is beyond doubt the most significant in Oceania. As a western nation, Australia holds many of the same values as the U.S. and there are extensive economic, diplomatic and military ties that bind the two countries together. There are, however, three detractors when it comes to adding Papua New Guinea (PNG) to the equation. While they should not affect the quality of the U.S.-Australia relationship, the U.S. should be seen as actively providing remedies to avoid being associated with these pitfalls and if they are serious about their Pacific focus.

Dr. Deon Canyon is a professor at the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies. Michael Kabuni is a researcher in the Political Science Department, University of Papua New Guinea. The views expressed in this article are the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the DKI APCSS or the United States Government.

Security Nexus is a peer-reviewed, online journal published by the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies.