PORT MORESBY – The South Pacific region should not become an arena for major power rivalry, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here on Saturday.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks while meeting with his Papua New Guinea counterpart Justin Tkatchenko.

No country should regard any island country in the region as its "backyard," he added.

The Pacific island countries are the homeland of their people, not the "backyard" of any major power, the Chinese minister said later at a press conference with Tkachenko.

Any attempt to provoke camp confrontation in the South Pacific region does not serve the urgent needs of South Pacific island countries, he added.

The United States is trying to cobble together a "trilateral security partnership" and insisted on introducing nuclear submarines into this region, which violates the purpose of the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty and poses a serious risk of nuclear proliferation, said Wang.

Recently, the US and its allies even came up with pretexts to try to entice more countries to join their bloc, he added.

China has consistently opposed the act of provoking camp confrontation in this region because it does not serve the urgent needs of the South Pacific island countries and runs counter to the global trend of development, said the Chinese minister.  

China-PNG relations

China is ready to work with PNG to build a comprehensive strategic partnership of higher level and better quality, Wang said during his meeting with Tkachenko.

China will continue to treat PNG as an equal, and firmly support the country in safeguarding its sovereignty, independence and national unity, accelerating national revitalization and improving people's livelihood, and playing a bigger role in regional and multilateral affairs, he said.

PNG is an important partner in the joint construction of the Belt and Road, he said, noting that the Pacific country has participated in two Belt and Road forums for international cooperation consecutively and made positive contributions.

China is ready to strengthen its cooperation with PNG in such areas as trade and investment, infrastructure, agriculture, forestry and fishery, clean energy and climate change solutions. China is also ready to create new highlights in its cooperation with PNG in such areas as information and communication technology, disaster prevention and reduction, and police affairs, pushing bilateral relations to higher levels, Wang said.

Identifying China as a close friend of his country, Tkachenko said the PNG government has long been firm in upholding and will continue to firmly adhere to the one-China policy, adding that the government understands and supports China's efforts to achieve national reunification.

PNG looks forward to strengthening cooperation in the fields of economy and trade, telecommunications, energy, agriculture, education, police affairs, and disaster prevention and mitigation, and further facilitating people-to-people exchanges, he said.

He also sincerely thanked China for its selfless assistance to PNG in coping with the recent floods.

PNG believes that China's cooperation with South Pacific island countries has promoted regional development, thinks highly of China's important role and fair stance in international and regional affairs, and is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with China, said the PNG minister.

The two sides also exchanged views on international and regional issues of common concern.

After the talks, the two foreign ministers jointly attended the signing ceremony of various cooperation documents.