CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — A U.S. diplomat says the United States, Japan and Australia are cooperating on a domestic internet cable proposal for Papua New Guinea as an alternative to an offer by Huawei, the Chinese telecommunications giant that the United States regards as a cybersecurity threat.

The Australian government blocked Huawei in August from rolling out Australia's 5G network due to security issues and has concerns about the company's involvement in the telecommunication infrastructure of its nearest neighbor, Papua New Guinea.

The U.S. charge d'affaires to Australia, James Carouso, said Friday the three Pacific defense allies are negotiating with the South Pacific island nation.

The Australian newspaper reports Papua New Guinea minister Justin Tkatchenko said Australia needs to offer a better deal than Huawei.

Tkatchenko could not be contacted for comment.