Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape said on Monday there had been no recent discussions with Papua New Guinea China on the issue of security after the resource-rich country signed a security agreement with its neighbor Australia last week.
Marape said PNG had been transparent and when he visited Beijing with his ministers this year “there was no conversation about security”.
“We're keeping them in the economic space, for security we've turned to traditional security partners,” he told a resource investment conference in Sydney.
Marape shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing in October. Photo: Xinhua
“These two complement each other. External security with the US and internal security with Australia,” he said.
The resource-rich but largely undeveloped country north of Australia is trying to boost foreign investment and trade to boost its economy amid a growing struggle for influence in the region between the United States and China, which has signed a security agreement with the neighboring country Solomon Islands last year.
The China-funded Pacific Games are taking place in the Solomon Islands amid great power rivalry
Marape said improving security was important for foreign investors.
PNG's exports are dominated by resources and energy, including liquefied natural gas.
Marape said he did not want to be lectured about climate change and that countries with the largest carbon footprints and affluent lifestyles needed to lead the way in curbing emissions.
“My country is in the oil and gas business. Luckily we have to balance the big forest and the sea,” he said.
With 70 percent of PNG being forested, Marape described the country as “carbon negative” and offered a green label to energy investors.
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