Chinese national flags are waving on PNG’s Independence Boulevard that opened to traffic in recent days. Photo by Wang Xiaodong, Liu Qing

China has become a focus in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea (PNG), the host city of the 26th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in recent days. The Chinese elements , fresh Butuka Secondary School renovated by China, the wide China-aid Independence Boulevard, as well as the buses offered by China running across the city, can be seen almost everywhere in the city.

The people of PNG raised banners in both Chinese and English to welcome visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping, extending their thanks to the president for building schools and roads for them.

PNG Prime Minister Peter O’Neill noted that his country couldn’t have made such rapid development as it is doing today or organized the APEC meeting in such a smooth manner without China’s help.

China’s contribution to the Asia-Pacific in promoting regional cooperation and common prosperity is obvious to all.

“China is the world’s second largest economy and one of the largest consumer markets. Its economic development has an impact on the future trend of global economy,” said PNG’s Minister for Finance, James Marape. He believes China plays a vital role among APEC members.

China has raised a series of proposals and ideas within the APEC framework in recent years that have exerted huge influence on not only APEC, but also other global organizations, Marape underscored.

PNG citizens pose for pictures by an advertising board of APEC. Photo from Xinhua News Agency

Alan Bollard, APEC Secretariat executive director holds that as a major economy that has a huge influence in the Asia-Pacific region, China has been extensively engaged in APEC activities, playing a significant role in multiple schemes to enhance regional economic integration.

As this year marks the 5th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the Chinese proposal has become a hot topic among politicians, businessmen and scholars attending the APEC.

On Nov. 12, the first day of the APEC week, China and Fiji officially inked a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation within the framework of the BRI.

The BRI proposed by China bears an important referential significance, Bollard said, adding that China’s rich experience in infrastructure and poverty reduction over the last few years has gradually been adopted into regional agenda, contributing to the development of the Asia-Pacific.

“China and Japan are respectively the second and third largest economies of the world, and they should jointly take the responsibility to cope with global challenges,” said Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono at a recent press conference.

To enhance infrastructure and improve regional interconnectivity could become a focus of China-Japan cooperation in the future, he noted, adding that Japan welcomes the cooperation with China that complies to international codes.

Climate change is also one of the major topics at the APEC summit. “Pacific island countries attach high importance on climate change, and we will never forget the last year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference which concluded with success under the support from China,” said chief economic adviser Joseph Veramu to the Prime Minister of Fiji, host of the 23rd United Nations Climate Change Conference last year.

David Morris, Pacific Islands Trade and Investment Commissioner in China highly praised China’s fulfillment of its obligation in the Paris Agreement, as well as the country’s efforts to coordinate each country to find the "biggest common denominator" for cooperation, saying China has played a leading role in emission reduction.