Papua New Guinea was 'blessed' with a visit by China just a day ago. Anthony Albanese is hot on their tail

It's becoming a fairly regular pattern now in Papua New Guinea that foreign leaders appear to visit within a short window of time from one another.

China's top diplomat, Foreign Minister Wang Yi, will have departed Port Moresby's Jacksons International Airport just over 24 hours before Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese touches down for an extended visit to walk the Kokoda Track.

PNG prime minister James Marape summed it up neatly on Sunday morning:

"They didn't plan to be back-to-back … but PNG is blessed," he told reporters.

While relations between Canberra and Beijing are thawing, there's still considerable geo-political posturing taking place in the South Pacific.

Mr Wang spent the weekend in Port Moresby for meetings with Mr Marape and PNG's Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko, with the two nations signing several agreements, relating to trade and information communication technology.

In his remarks following a bilateral meeting on Saturday, Minister Wang took aim at Australia and the AUKUS partnership – a security relationship for the Indo-Pacific region between Australia, the US and UK — claiming it "instigated division … not in line with the urgent needs of Pacific Island countries."

He also said that China saw Pacific Island countries as an "indispensable partner", with assistance given to countries without "strings attached", or an "imposition of our will."

And in a not-so-veiled swipe at language used by former Australian prime minister Scott Morrison, Mr Wang said Pacific Islands weren't the "backyard of any major country."

Just as Mr Wang was departing, Mr Marape spoke to reporters about the strengthening relationship between PNG and China.

But Australian officials will be elated at what Mr Marape had to say ahead of the Australian prime minister's visit.

"Australia-PNG relationship is also second to none," he said.

As PNG looks ahead, Australia reminds of the past

While the long-running Pacific diplomacy of Papua New Guinea has been an attitude of "friends to all, enemies to none", it appears PNG is marking clear lines as to what it's seeking from those friends.

With a population that largely lives on customary land that can be used for agricultural purposes, PNG sees the access to large export markets as a key to its economic empowerment.

Beijing is happy to oblige, with the two nations signing agreements that would allow PNG to more easily export cocoa and coffee beans.

"This will allow 80 per cent of our population that are self-reliant farmers the opportunity now to access one of the biggest markets in the world," Mr Tkatchenko said after the signing.

Chinese companies also have considerable interest in PNG's resources, notably its gold and liquid natural gas.

In an historic speech to Australia's parliament earlier this year, Mr Marape spoke about its pursuit of greater economic strength, to cut back on its dependence on development assistance.

In this respect, it sees China as a crucial partner.

"Trade supersedes aid and grants, we engaged in conversation to build a stronger economy in our country," Mr Marape said on Sunday of the bilateral talks with China.

The next few days, however, will highlight Australia and PNG's inalienable historic security ties, with a walk of the Kokoda Track by both prime ministers.

During the two-day trek, Mr Albanese will be focusing on the shared "service and sacrifice" of the two nations.

The trip will be laden with symbolism, as Mr Albanese looks to the past to build relationships in the Pacific to deal with contemporary challenges posed by China's growing presence in the region.

While Solomon Islands has signed policing and security agreements with Beijing, PNG officials have since gone to lengths to assure officials in Canberra that no security or policing deals were being worked on with Beijing.

Meanwhile, Australia and PNG continue to carry out construction of police infrastructure as part of a bilateral security agreement, and the joint redevelopment of PNG's Lombrum Naval Base on Manus Island.

Leaders take to Kokoda to honour shared history

Ahead of the walk, Mr Marape has described the opportunity for the two men, whom he describes as "good friends", as an "honour".

"The ANZAC spirit is as much ours as it is Australian and New Zealand's," he said.

"I will very much be privileged to walk that leg of the journey until the prime minister decides to call it enough.

"As the chief host of Prime Minister Albanese, it would be unfair on him and the Australian people if the PM of PNG does not accompany him for his stay in PNG."

Ahead of his departure, Mr Albanese described the Kokoda campaign and the Kokoda Track — where Australian and Papuan infantry battalions fought Japanese soldiers in the Second World War — as "part of our national identity."

"[It is] a defining chapter in the story of those who risked and lost their lives in defence of Australia and in our shared history with Papua New Guinea," he said in a statement.

"Kokoda is a name that lives in Australian legend. It captures the spirit of courage, endurance, mateship and sacrifice forged between Australia and Papua New Guinea during World War II.

"Participating in this walk is a solemn way to honour, to reflect on the sacrifices made by those who walked this same ground, people from Papua New Guinea and Australia, serving and sacrificing together in defence of their home."

The walk will conclude with an Anzac Day dawn service in the village of Isurava.