Prime Minister James Marape is back in the country after a five-day visit to Hong Kong then onto China.
Arriving in Port Moresby, Marape said he has done his part and the responsibility is now on the people of Papua New Guinea to meet the growing demands of the Chinese market.
“I have done my job, and the onus is now on our ministries, departments, public servants and people to start producing more for the huge Chinese market,” Marape said.
Marape, who sees himself as the No. 1 diplomat and salesman for his country, announced securing partnerships with four large Chinese companies for downstream processing of Papua New Guinea’s resources.
“China understands our focus on promoting trade and investment, as exemplified during my meetings with Premier Li and President Xi, and they gave their full support towards downstream processing of our agriculture, forest, and fisheries resources,” said Marape”
While in Hong Kong, Marape met and spoke with various Chinese investors including John Lee, the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the Republic of China.
Marape claims his engagements in high-level meetings is aimed at strengthening the economic relationship between Papua New Guinea and China.
After attending the inaugural Papua New Guinea-Asia Investment Conference early this week, Marape flew to Bejing where he met with Premier Li Qiang on Monday evening and then had an audience with President Xi Jinping on Tuesday morning.
He also participated in the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Development, which took place on Tuesday and Wednesday this week.
Related: https://insidepng.com/marape-continues-international-travels/
