PNG-China ties vital, says PM Marape

News that matter in Papua New Guinea

Chinese Foreign Affairs Minister Wang Yi and Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Relations Soroi Eoe at the bilateral meeting in Port Moresby on Friday. – Nationalpic by NICKY BERNARD

PNG-China ties vital, says PM Marape

(O'Neill says agreements signed to be nullified if PNC forms next Government)

PORT MORESBY: Prime Minister James Marape says the China-Papua New Guinea (PNG) relationship is very important and cannot be compromised or sabotage.

“The country is focused on strengthening economic relationships with China, particularly in downstream processing of raw materials for export,” he added.

Marape spoke last week during China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s brief visit to PNG during his eight-nation tour of the Pacific Region.

A number of agreements were signed between the two governments that included promoting investment in green development, Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic response, disaster prevention and mitigation and development of an anti-narcotics centre, among others.

And former prime minister Peter O’Neill said the lack of details on the supposed agreements signed in Port Moresby on Friday between the caretaker Government and the Chinese government was deeply concerning.

“Should the People’s National Congress (PNC) party form the Government, these agreements would be nullified on the basis they were not undertaken in the right spirit and in accordance with PNG’s democratic values.

PNG Cyber Monitor reproduces below a few news updates on the visit as reported by The National:

China tie vital

June 6, 2022The NationalMain Stories

PRIME Minister James Marape says the China-PNG relationship is very important and cannot be compromised or sabotaged.
He said this last week during China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s brief visit to the country during his eight-nation tour of the Pacific region.
Marape said the country was focused on strengthening economic relationships with China, particularly in downstream processing of raw materials for export.
Number of agreements signed between the two governments during the visit included promoting investment in green development, Covid-19 pandemic response, disaster prevention and mitigation and development of an anti-narcotics centre among others.
Marape noted China was one of the country’s largest trading partners.
“We export more to China than we import from China,” he said.
Both Marape and Foreign Affairs Minister Soroi Eoe met with Wang in Port Moresby on Friday.
Wang said: “Facts have proved that sound China-PNG relations not only bring huge benefits to the two countries and two peoples, but also help improve the overall relations between China and the Pacific Island countries (PICs).
“PNG is China’s largest trading partner, investment destination and project-contracting market in the South Pacific region.”
The two sides have agreed to seek greater synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and the Connect PNG Infrastructure Development Programme 2020-2040, complete the feasibility study of the free trade agreement at an early date, and strengthen experience-sharing on the development of special economic zones.
Wang said: “PNG is an important strategic cooperative partner of China in the South Pacific region.
“China will continue to provide economic and technical assistance with no political strings attached for PNG to help its economic and social development.”
He added that as the largest Pacific Island country, PNG exerts an important influence on the Asia-Pacific region.
Wang highlighted that PNG was the first Pacific Island nation to sign the memorandum of understanding and cooperation plan with China on Belt and Road cooperation.
Former Prime Minister Peter O’Neill said if his party (People’s National Congress) forms Government, these agreements would be nullified on the basis that they were not taken undertaken in the right spirit or in accordance with the country’s democratic value.

PNC will nullify deals: MP

June 6, 2022The NationalMain Stories

FORMER Prime Minister Peter O’Neill says lack of details on the supposed agreements signed in Port Moresby on Friday between the caretaker Government and the Chinese government is deeply concerning.
O’Neill added that should his People’s National Congress (PNC) party form government, these agreements would be nullified on the basis they were not undertaken in the right spirit and in accordance with Papua New Guinea’s democratic values.
“PNG is tired and really fed up with how this current Government has handled our biggest moments over the last three years, including the shutdown of Porgera that has cost us K9.3 billion and now this bungled diplomacy,” he said.
“Lack of properness in our dealings with investors, trading partners, businesses, corrupt spending on Coronavirus (Covid-19) and borrowing K20 billion for no new development, is hurting families, communities and our country.
“It simply has to stop or we will have sold our own country to those who come visiting under suspicious circumstances.
“I repeat my support for our Chinese community both here and overseas.”
The former prime minister said he wanted to work with China and Australia to revive the country’s flagging resource sector but would not sign a security pact with Beijing or any other nation as reported by the Australian Financial Review.
O’Neill said he wanted to work with China and Australia to boost investments in the country’s resources sector and was optimistic about working with the Albanese government.
He added that the battle for influence in the region was not actually about the wellbeing of Pacific nations.
China’s Foreign Affairs Minister Wang Yi visited Port Moresby on the final leg of a 10-day diplomatic trip and met with Prime Minister James Marape on Friday.
Despite the trip around the Pacific, the Solomon Islands was the only Pacific nation to sign a bilateral security framework agreement with China.
Commenting on that in Port Moresby, Wang said the Solomon Islands was an independent sovereign state and had the right to sign bilateral agreements with other countries.
“To interfere in the domestic affairs of the Solomon Islands and dictate terms to the country would be disrespect to a sovereign nation,” Wang said.
“The bilateral security framework agreement between China and the Solomon Islands was conducted in light of the request and need of the Solomon Islands and through consultations on an equal footing.
“Its purpose is to assist the Solomons in maintaining social order.
He noted that some media outlets were hyping up a regional security agreement China intends to sign with Pacific island countries.
“This is simply disinformation.
“China has come to the South Pacific to build roads and bridges and improve the people’s lives, not to station troops or build military bases.”

China ready to work with PNG, says Wang

June 6, 2022The NationalNational

Chinese Foreign Affairs Minister Wang Yi and Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Relations Soroi Eoe at the bilateral meeting in Port Moresby on Friday. – Nationalpic by NICKY BERNARD

By HELEN TARAWA
CHINA is ready to work with Papua New Guinea through a bilateral relationship at a higher level in promoting the wellbeing of the people from both nations, Chinese Foreign Affairs Minister Wang Yi says.
Speaking at the signing of memorandum of understanding (MOU) on various programmes on Friday, Wang said China would continue to provide economic and technical assistance to PNG with no political strings attached.
Among the agreements signed on Friday were a MOU on promoting investment cooperation in green development signed by Foreign Affairs secretary Elias Wohengu, exchange of letters for anti-Covid-19 assistance signed by Health secretary Dr Osbourne Liko and exchange of letters for the establishment of anti-narcotics centre signed by the secretary for National Planning and Monitoring Koney Samuel.
Wang also witnessed the launching of the Port Moresby General Hospital Minimally Invasive Surgery Centre by Dr Liko, hospital chief executive officer Dr Paki Molumi and Chinese officials.

PNG first to sign under belt, road plan: Wang

June 6, 2022The NationalNational

CHINA’S Foreign Minister Wang Yi describes Papua New Guinea as the first Pacific Island country to sign a memorandum of understanding and cooperation plan with China on belt and road projects.
He said China-aided projects such as roads, bridges, universities, hydropower stations and state grid in PNG and made important contributions to PNG’s economic development and improvement of people’s livelihood.
“China’s policy towards PNG is open to all the people in the country and is supported by all parties and factions in the country.
“China never interferes in other countries’ internal affairs and hopes that PNG will maintain good governance and social harmony and speed up development and revitalisation.”
During his brief visit to Port Moresby, Wang also spoke about the future prospects of China-Australia relations.
He noted that the crux of the difficulties in China-Australia relations in the past few years was that some political force in Australia insisted on viewing China as a rival rather than a partner and framing China’s development as a threat rather than an opportunity.
He said this had led to a significant retrogression of the many-year positive and pragmatic China policy by Australia.
Wang said that the solution was looking at China and China-Australia relations in a sensible and positive way, uphold mutual respect, seek common ground while shelving differences, and create the necessary conditions for bringing bilateral relations back on the normal track.
He also stressed that to improve China-Australia relations, there was no “auto-pilot” mode.
“A reset requires concrete actions.
“This meets the aspirations of people in both countries and the trend of our time,” he added.