Outside In | At Apec, there’ll be no escaping China’s growing influence in the Pacific

David Dodwell says Papua New Guinea’s hosting of Apec leaders next month, including Xi Jinping, will shine the spotlight on China’s growing footprint in a region that has long been home to the ‘great game’ of geopolitical jockeying

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Flags of the Pacific Islands countries are displayed in Yaren, Nauru, on the last day of the Pacific Islands Forum on September 5. Putting on one side Australia and New Zealand, which account for about 97 per cent of the GDP of the grouping, the Pacific Islands Forum clusters a further 16 of the tiniest and least-noticed economies in the world. Photo: AFP

Published: 7:15am, 6 Oct 2018Updated: 7:34am, 6 Oct 2018

In just a month’s time, Peter O’Neill’s government in Papua New Guinea will host the biggest diplomatic event of its 43-year life – the meeting of leaders from the 21 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) economies.

The poorest and least developed of all the Apec economies, this elemental country of just 8 million people boasts more than 820 distinct languages, and its high-mountain rainforests are still home to dozens of “uncontacted” tribal communities. North of Australia, and making up the eastern end of the string of islands that make up Indonesia, it tapers off into the Pacific Islands and the Pacific’s ring of fire.

The unprecedented challenge of hosting the thousands of regional leaders in its tiny capital, Port Moresby, has obsessed the country’s leaders for the past four years – as it has leaders in Australia, who have provided huge financial support. Cruise ships are being brought in to deal with the shortage of hotel rooms.

One of Papua New Guinea’s leading “sherpas” responsible for preparing for the year of hosting Apec proudly but nervously showed me four years ago a huge tattoo consuming his right arm: “In God I Trust – Apec PNG 2018”. He said then: “Whether we succeed or fail, it will be a year I will never be able to forget.” Now is his day of reckoning.

To be fair, after nine months of Apec chairmanship, and hundreds of smaller Apec meetings, Papua New Guinea has hosted with commendable competence. Given the stresses this year in Apec due to America’s trade war-mongering, Papua New Guinea leaders have fought valiantly and well to keep the organisation focused on its missions of trade and investment liberalisation and encouraging regional cooperation.

The Apec leaders’ summit will take place in this conference centre in Port Moresby. The unprecedented challenge of hosting thousands of regional leaders in its tiny capital has obsessed Papua New Guinea’s leaders for the past four years. Photo: AFP