PNG-Australia Ministerial Forum: PM James Marape says he will turn to China for help
Papua New Guinea’s PM has warned Foreign Minister Marise Payne he will turn to China if Canberra fails to come up with the goods.
National
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Australia was finally recognising PNG was no longer its colony but “fair play” and bilateral trade imbalances were needed for the sake of regional security and future good relations, PNG Prime Minister James Marape has warned.
And in a veiled threat, PNG was content to turn to China for financial help if Canberra did not come up with a more structured trade package and a good terms direct loan.
Australia had provided aid as budget support but stopped in 2000, and in 2017 refused a PNG budget support request.
As he addressed the largest Australian ministerial delegation to visit his country in more than a decade including six Cabinet ministers, Mr Marape made it clear it was in Australia’s security interest to have a prosperous PNG.
He told the 27th PNG-Australia Ministerial Forum, co-chaired by Foreign Minister Marise Payne, enough was enough and both nations had to move on from principles and come up with clear outcomes from these talks.
Those outcomes included a direct loan of unspecified millions of dollars to secure his 2019 budget but also allowing more PNG exports into Australia’s produce markets so PNG didn’t have to rely on handouts.
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Mr Marape said he appreciated Australia’s $600 million in aid each year but he wanted his country to stand on its own two feet and for that Australia had to change its trade thinking and the Comprehensive Strategic and Economic Partnership being created had to reflect that.
He said PNG produce, largely coffee, gold and palm oil, was finding overseas markets far from home rather than to its closest neighbour.
“The Australian leadership is slowly migrating to a mindset that we are no longer their colony, we are no longer their responsibility and out of good measure and good heart they’ve come a long way in assisting us and I put on the record I appreciate they’ve helped us beyond expected levels thus far,” Mr Marape said in response to a question from News Corp.
“But it is only fair when we are stronger economically then they can also be stronger because we see common borders, we see common threats in the region, geopolitical threats or issues pertaining to climate and latest controversial issues.
“Australia is now mindful there is a PNG population of possibly 10 million people right next door that must be healthy and wealthy and prosperous so the greater recognition by Canberra now that PNG is no longer a nation that must be subservient to them and aid dependent and my push to Australia is to appreciate we need trade relationship than aid relationship.”
Ironically the only minister that wasn’t there was Trade Minister Simon Birmingham but Senator Payne was backed in Port Moresby by Finance Minister Mathias Cormann, Defence Minister Linda Reynolds, Immigration Minister David Coleman, Pacific Development Minister Alex Hawke and Assistant trade minister Mark Coulton.
Despite it being an important national religious Day of Repentance holiday, 15 PNG ministers were present at the forum talks.
The forum is being held in the shadow of China which PNG is hugely in debt to and which is attempting to make greater debt diplomacy financing to secure a closer Pacific relationships and secure concessions including access to shipping ports and strategic military outposts.
Over the weekend, Australia signalled its response by financing the refurbishment and expansion of a critical former US base in Manus Province and in Fiji and Vanuatu for a more strategic regional footprint.
PNG Foreign Minister Soroi Eoe said it was time Australia and PNG “advanced its partnership” that needed to be reassessed which Senator Payne agreed more could be done as she acknowledged Australia shared a very close relationship.