Meeting to bump up export

PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill’s official visit to China will start today in Beijing with a bilateral meeting with the Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.
O’Neill said high on the agenda was increasing the export of agriculture and fisheries products, and making better use of the new technologies being produced by Chinese companies.
“China is one of our nation’s most important trading partners and it is through this engagement that we will increase investment and generate employment,” O’Neill said.
“China is an important customer for our natural resources, but we need to expand that trading relationship to include more agriculture and fisheries products.
“With each increase in the trade of our exports there is an increase in the number of jobs created in our country.
“Papua New Guinea has enormous potential to export food products to Asia, particularly to China, and we have to take advantage of these opportunities.”
“There are some who feel that Papua New Guinea can live in isolation and not engage with the world, but they are very wrong.
“The only way that we will attract new foreign investment, stimulate export opportunities and cerate jobs is by engaging in global markets and working with our trading partners.
“That way we are strengthening our own economy and increasing prosperity in our communities.”
The Prime Minister said high technology coming out of China can have important application in key sectors of the Papua New Guinea economy and he will discuss this potential with Government agencies and the private sector.
“Chinese companies produce a great deal of sophisticated technological products that we can use in Papua New Guinea to great effect.
“This includes farming and food processing technologies that would enhance our production capacity on our farms and factories.
“The communications technologies being developed and utilised in China would also be of great benefit, particularly in relation to major events such as APEC in 2018.
“We look forward to the bilateral discussions that will take place this week.”
The Prime Minister will also speak at the annual Eco Forum in Guiyang, in Guizhou Province, and attend a series of meetings with business leaders in Shenzen province.
The delegation accompanying the Prime Minister includes Enga Governor Sir Peter Ipatas, Treasury Minister Patrick Pruaitch, Public Enterprises and State Investments Minister William Duma, Works and Implementation Minister Francis Awesa and a number of PNG and Chinese business leaders.
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