How China is helping Papua New Guinea's development

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China's dream-like infrastructure development is not only benefiting the country alone, but also its neighbors and partners.

In Papua New Guinea (PNG), the Oceania country that's holding the coming APEC meeting, traces of China's help can be frequently found.

The International Convention Center in PNG, upgraded with the help of China /Photo from Ministry of Commerce

To help PNG hold the APEC meeting, China built a new six-lane road called "Independence Boulevard" as a gift.

According to Xinhua reports, the 300-meter corrido isr worth about 12 million US dollars and connects Waigani to the Parliament House.

If you see the road as just another vanity project to showcase the friendship between the two countries, think again. The local government has announced that the boulevard "will be here to stay," and used for "many other purposes" including recreational parks and amenities.

China also helped PNG's capital city, Port Moresby, to upgrade its airport highway. The 8.6-kilometer Poreporena Freeway got its infrastructure refurbished with the help of China Harbor Engineering.

The Poreporena Freeway

In addition to roads, China also helped PNG build schools. The Butuka Secondary School is the first project funded by Port Moresby's sister city, China's Shenzhen. The school educates roughly 3,000 children.

The help provided to PNG is not limited to infrastructure, but includes significant donations to the health sector this past year:

- Medicine and equipment worth about 150,000 US dollars in July;

- An anti-malaria center opened in August;

- More then 150 million US dollars of humanitarian aid after the devastating earthquake in February.

Port Moresby General Hospital receives the medical aid from China on July 30, 2018. /Photo from China's embassy in PNG

According to Australian research, China is providing the second-most aid to South Pacific countries after Australia, and PNG is the main beneficiary.

PNG's Minister for APEC Justin Tkachenko has repeatedly praised China for the aid.

Tkatchenko attends a meeting in Chengdu in April 2018. /VCG Photo

"The aid is very effective. The schools, roads and electricity network is helping tens of thousands of PNG people to live better lives," he told Phoenix TV.

Tkachenko also negated the "useless aid" comment from Australia's Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, calling it "ridiculous."

All in all, China is helping PNG in some important developmental sectors and the PNG government believe the aid will bring long-term benefits for the local population.

(Top photo credit: Ministry of Commerce)

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