PNG PM Marape to embark on official trip to China and France

The Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape, will be undertaking official visits to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) from 03rd – 08th February and thereafter to France from 9th – 13th February 2022.

The Prime Minister’s visit to PRC is at the invitation of President Xi Jinping to attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics on 04th February. Apart from this major international sporting event, Prime Minister Marape will also engage in high-level bilateral talks with President Xi and Premier Li Keqiang. Indeed the sporting event itself is a small part of a larger program of engagements over four days.

Following the visit to PRC, Prime Minister Marape will proceed to Brest, Western France to attend the One Ocean Summit that will be chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron.

In terms of the visit to the PRC, I intend for it to be more practical and meaningful and draw tangible outcomes unlike previous visits and will be specifically focusing on securing Business, Trade and Investment opportunities to complement Papua New Guinea’s socio-economic agenda,” the Prime Minister said.

“In this context, I will seize the occasion to invite potential and reputable Chinese State Corporations to invest in downstream processing of our Oil and Gas, Mining, Fisheries, Agriculture (Rice, Coffee & Cocoa, Livestock) and Forestry sectors,” PM Marape said.

“It is my intention to secure major Chinese Corporations and offer them incentives that are well within our investment regulations to assist PNG develop the above sectors to produce and add value to the finished products that will sustain our domestic markets and also export to the lucrative Chinese market.”

Prime Minister Marape said the trip will provide a great opportunity for his delegation to meet with business community representatives and witness firsthand, downstream processing facilities and operations of the established Special Economic Zones.

For the France leg, apart from attending the One Ocean Summit to discuss conservation and sustainable management of our vast oceans including the Pacific, Prime Minister Marape will also meet President Macron for high-level bilateral discussions.

Also whilst in France, Prime Minister Marape will meet separately with Mr. Patrick Pouyane, CEO of French Petroleum Company, Total Energies, to discuss and firm up on final arrangements and 

scheduling of the various milestone phases leading to the construction of Papua LNG and P’nyang Gas Projects.

The Summit will enable Leaders to engage in discussions to protect and conserve the World’s Oceans from the effects of Climate Change and to harness and utilize the potential of the Ocean to develop mitigation and adaptation technologies that will help in reducing emissions and provide environmental safeguards.

In addition, discussions will also focus on cooperative measures to improve port security and combat illegal activities such as Illegal Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing.

The bilateral talks with President Macron will present the opportunity for both Leaders to elevate the existing bilateral relations to explore potential areas of cooperation with a view to broadening current engagements in biodiversity, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and climate 

change amongst others.

Prime Minister Marape on these two international engagements is being accompanied by a leaner delegation comprising of relevant Ministers, Members of Parliament and Senior Government Officials that will provide appropriate policy advisory support with the view to drawing tangible outcomes to complement PNG’s socio-economic agenda.

All COVID-19 international travel protocols are being strictly complied with by Prime Minister and his delegation. 

Media Statement/One PNG News

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