Prime Minister Scott Morrison says Australia was providing strong support to help bring agreement on communique at the APEC summit.

Deep divisions between the United States and China derail the APEC meeting in Port Moresby, with regional leaders failing to agree on a final communique for the first time in the summit's history.

The China and United States delegations clash over language relating to trade, meaning the summit leaders will not issue the traditional summit statement.

The Prime Minister Scott Morrison has joined the heads of Papua New Guinea, Japan, New Zealand, and US Vice President Mike Pence to announce a plan to connect 70% of PNG to electricity by 2020 and to the whole country by 2030.

Four officials forced their way into Rimbink Pato's office after being repeatedly denied a meeting to discuss the wording of the final communique of the APEC summit in Port Moresby.

Plans to host US warships at a redeveloped naval base on Manus Island will undermine China's plans to establish a military presence in the Pacific, says one analyst. Scott Morrison says PNG asked the US and Australia to get involved, as the countries vie for influence in the region.

When it was an Australian territory, people born in what is now Papua New Guinea were automatically Australian citizens. Now, after years calling Australia home, many of them have been forced to prove their citizenship or potentially be left stateless.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison uses a major speech in front of regional leaders to warn the US and China against a full-blown trade war as the geopolitical contest between the two great powers intensifies.

The Prime Minister has promoted free trade and open markets, saying the stalled Trans Pacific Partnership still remains a possibility.

It is not yet known how much US money will be pumped into the Manus base, but Vice-President Mike Pence says the Trump administration wants to «protect the sovereignty and maritime routes of Pacific Island nations».

The US Vice President Mike Pence has announced the US will partner with Australia and Papua New Guinea to redevelop the dilapidated Lombrum naval base on Manus Island.

Chinese authorities deny media entry to a Pacific leaders meeting with President Xi Jinping despite them being invited to cover it.

Papua New Guinea's Foreign Minister says the country will do all it can to ensure there are no conflicts between China and Australia during the APEC summit.

In 1942, 395 handwritten letters fell from the sky. By the time they were delivered, the Australian men who wrote them were dead.

In 1942, 395 letters written by Australian POWs fell from the sky, dropped by the Japanese after bombing Port Moresby — but by the time they were delivered, the men who wrote them were dead.

Queensland is preparing for the arrival of world leaders, including United States Vice-President Mike Pence, who will attend the APEC summit in Papua New Guinea, but stay in Cairns.

This week world leaders descend on Papua New Guinea for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit, an event that has stoked controversy before it even begins.

This week world leaders descend on Papua New Guinea for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit an event that has become controversial before it even begins.

In a country where poverty is rife, medication shortages are biting and there's just been a polio outbreak, some Papua New Guineans are struggling to square their day-to-day lives with the money being spent on the APEC summit.

Peter Hartcher, political and international editor of the Sydney Morning Herald, says Scott Morrison’s Pacific push to counter China is a dramatic turnaround.

Australia is ramping up its commitment to the Pacific, opening several new diplomatic posts and establishing a multi-billion-dollar infrastructure bank for projects in the region.

Some 21 refugees who were brought to Port Moresby for medical treatment are sent back to Manus Island for «security preparations» ahead of the APEC summit, PNG police say.

One of the bloodiest battles of the Kokoda campaign in World War II, where 133 Australian soldiers were killed, is finally recognised after a Queensland farmer made it his mission to have a monument erected in honour of the fallen.

Michael Shoebridge, director of defence and strategy with the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, says the timing of the Australia-PNG base deal is important in the lead up to the upcoming APEC summit in Port Moresby.

A former Manus Island MP says there was no discussion with locals about Australia and Papua New Guinea's deal to jointly redevelop a naval base on the island, and the plan lacks important details.

The Home Affairs Minister citing the Howard government's record of getting people out of detention isn't helping a Government feeling the heat over children kept on Manus and Nauru, writes political editor Andrew Probyn.

China has been accused of using loans and aid projects to bolster influence in the region, but Wang Yi says those «pointing fingers» should put their efforts into contributing.

A man who worked for the Home Affairs department up until last week fears there will be a high price to pay if the Government does not resettle refugees on Nauru and Manus Island in Australia.

An Australian company is pushing ahead with plans to open a coal-fired power plant and coal mine in Papua New Guinea, despite the recent call from the world's most authoritative climate science body to completely cut greenhouse emissions by 2050.

The Papua New Guinean government sparks anger by purchasing 40 custom-made Maserati cars — specially flown in from Italy — for leaders during APEC, at a time when PNG is seeing a resurgence of polio.

The United States Geological Survey says the powerful quake struck about 200 kilometres south-west of the town of Rabaul, in Papua New Guinea's east, this morning.

The United States Geological Survey says the powerful quake struck just off the southern coast of the island of New Britain this morning.