Photo credit: Department of PM&NEC
Marape was pleased with the overall conclusion of the visit, which re-establishes, confirms, and enhances PNG's strong ties with China. He said this following a historic Saturday evening virtual meeting with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.
The two Leaders reiterated and announced a considerable set of deliverables during this meeting, which included:
- Inspections, quarantine, and phytosanitary regulations for wild marine fisheries aquatic goods from Papua New Guinea to be shipped to China;
- Exporting Edible Aquatic Animals from PNG to China: Protocol of Quarantine and Hygiene Requirements;
- Memorandum of Understanding between the People's Republic of China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the Department of Agriculture and Livestock;
- Signed Exchange of Letters on China Aid Juncao Technical and Upland Rice Technology Corporation Project to PNG Phase 2;
- Signing of Government Concessional Loan on PNG Power 132 KVA Grid Project Second Phase from Mt Hagen to Yonki;
- Completion of China/PNG Free Trade Agreement Joint Feasibility Study and Commencement of Negotiations;
- Agreement to Convene in 2022 the Second Session of the China/PNG Joint Economic and Trade Committee Meeting;
- Completion in 2022, the China/PNG aided Anti-Narcotics Laboratory in PNG;
- Commemoration in 2022, the 20th Year of China Medical Team visits PNG; and
- Inauguration in 2022 the China/PNG Friendship Centre of Minimally Invasive Surgery at Port Moresby General Hospital.
"These are significant Deliverables to a very productive, albeit short visit to China. These Deliverables present market opportunities, growth in economic cooperation, future opportunities in trade and some very specific projects".
"The future eventuality of a Free Trade Agreement between China and Papua New Guinea will be significant. It will be our first from a country to country perspective. Today's Inauguration of the commencement of negotiations following the completion of the feasibility study is a significant step".
Hon.Kerenga Kua and Managing Director of Kumul Petroleum, Wapu Sonk, held a very significant virtual meeting with SINOPEC, a prominent Chinese petroleum and gas company that currently imports gas from PNG LNG, according to Prime Minister Marape.
This virtual meeting was convened at the request of the Chinese leadership in order to obtain additional gas from Papua LNG and other gas reserves such as P'nyang. SINOPEC has shown a strong desire to pursue long-term business in the LNG industry, particularly for future upstream and downstream potential, according to Prime Minister Marape.
Minister for Fisheries Hon. Dr Lino Tom and Governor of Manus Hon. Charlie Benjamin also conducted a virtual meeting with a Chinese fishing company to develop collaborations with PNG provincial governments and businesses.
"These are serious intentions to help secure investment interest for the sector, supporting the 10-year fisheries development plan that the Government launched last year".
President Xi Jinping's entourage included Hon. William Samb, Minister of Commerce and Industry, and Eastern Highlands Governor Peter Numu, the latter expressing his delight that the Juncao Agriculture Technology project has received second phase support, a project that President Xi Jinping began in 1998 when he was Governor of Fujian Province.
Gone are the days when we would travel to a foreign country and seek assistance. Gone are the days when we sold our raw resources to third-party customers. We want to bring technology and industrial business partnerships to our country so that we can produce finished products in and along with the footprints of our power lines, as well as connect PNG infrastructures so that our primary produce can be processed into finished products that we can sell to international markets, including the lucrative Asian and Chinese markets.
Prime Minister Marape has been expressing this to all of our bilateral partners for the last two years, and he expects early investors to fill gaps in our agricultural, fishery, and forestry industries in collaboration with local enterprises currently operating in these areas. The purpose of the China tour is to make a compelling case for market-linked investors. On this occasion, we were able to kill two birds with one stone.
"We have been saying that we must stop exporting raw materials in their primary stages. After 46 years, we must now move specifically into downstream-based production industries and the trip to China was to push to that stage with a two-pronged approach by securing downstream partners and linking to international consumer markets and that is what the Chinese economy presents, both investor and market".
Prime Minister Marape expressed gratitude to the ministers and governors who joined him to China.
"These are part of my generation Leaders who believe in taking PNG back from people who have not empowered our people by making highly critical long-term economic decisions to add value to our resources. As a country, we need to move into downstream processing of all our resources which contribute substantively to the economic independence we are seeking".
Premier Li told Prime Minister Marape that he had many happy memories of Papua New Guinea after visiting the country in 2008. He identified Papua New Guinea as a Chinese ally, citing PNG's adherence to the "One China Policy" since the two countries established official diplomatic relations on October 12, 1976.
"It is important for China to recognize the resilient bilateral relations that our two countries have for over 40 years. Papua New Guinea is a true friend of China.
Prime Minister Marape was satisfied that he had the opportunity to reaffirm the strong bilateral relationship between our two countries since the formalisation of diplomatic rations in1976.
The French part of Prime Minister Marape's trip will now be cancelled owing to COVID-19 constraints after he received a positive test result upon landing in Beijing late Thursday evening. On February 6, 2022, he returns to Papua New Guinea.
Reference: Department of Prime Minister and National Executive Council (6 February 2022). Prime Minister James Marape has hailed his recent Chinese Visit a successful one.
