China cannot develop in isolation from the rest of the world even though its modernisation over the past decades has helped the growth of the rest of the world, Chinese Ambassador to PNG Zeng Fanhua said.
Zeng, speaking to guests at the Chinese Embassy last week to celebrate a milestone for the Chinese military, talked up the increasing development exchanges with PNG and the rest of the Pacific region.
“While China’s development benefits the world, China cannot develop in isolation from the rest of the world,” Zeng said.
“It cannot develop without cooperation with other countries, including PNG. I am pleased to see that in recent years, China-PNG comprehensive strategic partnership has continued to develop, and practical cooperation across the board has been deepening.
“Last November, President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister James Marape had a successful bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the APEC meeting in Thailand.
Earlier this year, the PNG government decided to close its trade office in Taipei, laying a more solid political foundation for the advancement of China-PNG relations.
“In the first half of this year, Chinese Vice Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and Governor of Guangdong Province visited PNG.
“PNG Minister for Foreign Affairs, Minister for Fisheries and Marine Resources and Minister for Agriculture visited China respectively.
“Today, Minister for International Trade and Investment Richard Maru is visiting China’s Guangdong Province. The bilateral exchanges have contributed significantly to the development of China-PNG relations.
“And these have promoted bilateral cooperation in the areas including economy and trade, investment, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, culture and sub-national exchanges. Police and military are also important fields of bilateral cooperation.
“Many of you here today have made efforts and contributions to the development of cooperation between our two sides, and I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all of you.
“As China’s economy and society have fully resumed normal operations in the post-pandemic period, China’s economy shows sound momentum of recovery, and the high-quality development is advanced steadily.”
“In the first half of this year, China’s GDP grew by 5.5 percent year-on-year, the highest among the world’s major economies. China’s development will bring more opportunities for the rest of the world including PNG.
“We look forward to working with the PNG side to seize the opportunities presented by China’s development, to promote more fruitful cooperation between our two countries, to lift the China-PNG comprehensive strategic partnership to higher levels and to bring more benefits to our two peoples.”
Meanwhile, the Chinese government has no issue with Papua New Guinea’s signing of the Defence Corporation Agreement (DCA) with the U.S, it is the media, says Prime Minister James Marape.
Marape said PNG had a specific economic bilateral relationship with China. “It sticks in that space. They have not made any requests to us for military relationships,” he said.
“It is the media that keeps on, going on and on about China.
“When we were signing the DCA with the U.S, the Chinese government through the embassy here, did relate to us.
“They have no issue with the signing of the DCA.
“They are mindful of the fact that some shared values we have with the U.S are not shared with other nations around the world,” he said.
Marape said that for the DCA, it was a deliberate choice of partnership. You see, nations around us like South Korea, I returned from Seoul, they have over 30,000 U.S Defence personnel moving in and out, and they have a big presence there,” he said.
SOURCE: POST COURIER/THE NATIONAL/PACNEWS
