Political and Diplomatic Relations

PNG became the 112 th country to establish diplomatic relations with China when Prime Minister Michael Somare signed the “Joint Communique” in Beijing on Tuesday, 12 October 1976. PNG set up its Embassy in Beijing in April 1988 and accredited a resident Ambassador - although prior to this, PNG's Ambassador to Japan, his Excellency Mr Joseph Nombri was accredited to China (and Korea).  PNG Ambassadors to the PRC include:

1. His Excellency Mr Noel Levi (1988-1990)

2. His Excellency Mr Larry Hulo (1990-1993)

3. His Excellency Mr Maimu Raka-Nou (March 1993-March 1997)

4. His Excellency Mr Barney Rongap (August 1997-June 2003)

5. His Excellency Mr Max Rai (July 2003 – April.2007)

6.His Excellency Mr.John Momis(July 2007-current)

The Joint Communiqué confirmed PNG's "One China Policy" and has been the benchmark of the ever burgeoning relationship between the two countries over the years whereby exchange of visits have been made by the respective leaders, officials and businessmen who, in doing so have helped expand the scope of bilateral relations in the areas of political, trade, economic, investment and development assistance. Formal agreements, such as the Investment Promotion & Protection Agreement (IPPA), Trade Promotion Agreement (TPA), Double Tax Treaty (DTA) and others, have served as vehicles for this mutual co-operation.

Official Consultations

In December 1992, Mr. Gabriel Dusava, then Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affair visited China and signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Institutionalising Consultations between Officials of the two countries with Mr. Liu Huaqiu, Vice Foreign Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China.

The two sides then held the first consultation and resolved to hold these consultations on an annual basis in principle and alternately in the capitals of the two countries. Since then, these consultations have been held on a regular basis with the 7th consultations held in Beijing in August 1999. The 8th Consultations were held in Port Moresby in January 2004 while Secretary Pepson led the PNG delegation to the 9 th PNG-Sino Bilateral Consultations in Beijing in September 2005.

Sister-City/Province relations

In 1988, the city of Jinan established sister-city relations with Port Moresby, capital of Papua New Guinea. Jinan was followed in June 1998 by Shandong Province who established sister-province relations with the East Sepik Province. In May 2000, Fujian Province also established sister-province relations with Eastern Highlands Province. Currently, talks are ongoing between East New Britain and Hainan Province for a sister-province arrangement.

Exchange of Visits

PNG and China's exchanges of regular visits at Head of Government, Ministerial, Official and technical levels between any two countries are extremely important because they go to show and further enhance goodwill and understanding between the Government and peoples of both countries in addition to working as the catalyst to improve and further expand trade, economic and investment relations between the two countries.

One of the highest ranking visits below the Head of State level made by a Chinese leader to PNG since 1976 was the one made in 1996 by H.E Qian Qichen then the Chinese Vice-Premier and Foreign Minister. On the PNG side, former Speaker John Pundari and former Prime Minister Skate both visited the Peoples' Republic of China at different times in 1998. Again former the Minister for Defence, Peter Waieng visited China in April-May 1999 and the visit by the former Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Bernard Narokobi took place in May 2000.

The Chinese Minister of Public Health, H E Mr Zhang Wenkang was the Special Envoy of the Chinese Government at PNG's 25 th anniversary of Independence. The more recent visit from the Chinese side was undertaken by the Minister for the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the People's Republic of China, Mr Wang Jiarui on 30 May 2005 during his Pacific tour where he raised regional and international issues of common interest including the United Nations Reforms. This was followed immediately by another high-level delegation to the Post Forum Dialogue in Port Moresby in October 2005 where the Chinese delegation was led by the Vice-Foreign Minister. 

Four previous Prime Ministers of PNG have also visited China in the past. Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare was the first to go to China followed by Sir Rabbie Namaliu in 1991. The late Sir William "Bill" Skate did the honours in December 1998 and was followed two years later by Sir Mekere Morauta. In February 2004, the current Prime Minister Sir Michael T. Somare again visited China. During Sir Michael's visit, he again reaffirmed to the Government and people of China PNG's continued adherence to "One China Policy" ever since the signing of the Joint Communique in 1976.

Besides these official visits, other Government Ministers and provincial governors have also visited China. These includes Sir Moi Avei in his capacity as the Minister for Petroleum & Energy (and most recently in January 2006 as Deputy-Prime Minister and Minister for Petroleum & Energy where MOUs with CEEB and CNPC were also signed paving the way for more Chinese investment in PNG's burgeoning mining and petroleum industry). Sir Moi Avei and the Honorable Sam AKoitai MP and Minister for Mining have visited China in the country's bid to promote its raw materials and minerals to the Chinese Government. In April 2005, Madang MPs James Yali and Alois Kinsley also visited Beijing with a delegation from the Madang provincial government for the signing of the MOU on Press Release with CMCC.

During the visit by the late Sir William, a number of initiatives and commitments were made. Foremost among them was the implementation of the Agreement on Economic and Technical Co-operation signed by both Governments - for a grant of ? 30 million RMB to the Government of PNG – purposely to cater for the insufficient construction costs of the Markham National High School project, and also to implement other projects. Other commitments and initiatives included the establishment of a PNG/China Joint Committee to follow-up on the implementation of the Fisheries Co-operation Agreement signed in Port Moresby between the then Foreign Ministers of both countries in 1996. 

PNG/Taiwan Relations – "One China Policy"

The Joint Communiqué of 12 October 1976 confirmed PNG's "One China Policy". PNG's association with the Chinese province of Taiwan is seen exclusively from an economic and commercial development point of view. Prime Minister Somare's recent Visit to China in 2004 again reiterated this fact. In this regard, Chinese leaders over the years have agreed for PNG to have trade and commercial relations with Taiwan, as a regional economy of China, through Exchanges of Letters between successive Foreign Affairs Ministers of both countries. The Joint Communiqué of 22 May 1995 between PNG and Taiwan was therefore signed in that context.

Trade and Investment Relations

The picture shows that PNG's Prime Minister.Sir Michael Somare(left),and Chinese President ,Hu Jintao,Have proposed further resource development agreements between the two nation in April.2005.