00:00A strategic embrace.
00:07Australia and PNG already have a security pact.
00:09Now both countries want to go further and sign a binding treaty.
00:14The most significant defence agreement between our two countries since Papua New Guinea independence.
00:22Australia believes it will bolster PNG's security and smooth the way for its citizens to serve
00:28in Australia's army down the track, as well as making it much harder for China to strike
00:33its own security agreements with the Pacific nation.
00:38We have consciously made a decision to choose who should be our friends as far as security
00:43is concerned.
00:44And today another reminder of how Beijing's military might is growing.
00:49Defence confirming that three Chinese warships filmed here in the Philippines and spotted
00:55north of Australia last week have now made their way down Australia's east coast, less
01:00than 300 kilometres from Sydney.
01:03They're entitled to be where they are.
01:06Australia's also entitled to be prudent.
01:08Australia and New Zealand sending planes and naval vessels to monitor them, but Beijing
01:13hasn't explained what the ships are doing or where they're going next.
01:18It's certainly not something that we would expect from China previously.
01:22The government is keen to stress publicly that this naval task group hasn't broken international
01:28law and isn't intruding into Australian waters.
01:31But privately, officials say China might be keen to demonstrate the growing reach of its
01:36rapidly expanding navy, which now has the ability to project force deep into our region.
01:43It's another reminder of how Australia's strategic circumstances are rapidly changing and why
01:49it wants to strike more deals with countries like PNG and throughout the Pacific.
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