No word on fake products

APEC Minister Justin Tkatchenko, Prime Minister Peter O’Neill and Chief Secretary Isaac Lupari must not continue to mislead Papua New Guineans on the so-called “hosting” of the Apec Summit in Port Moresby in November 2018 because it was a failure.
In my view, it was a complete failure because the PM never had the guts to raise concerns on the dumping of fake Chinese-made products into PNG. The World Trade Organisation, which PNG is a member of, strongly denounces dumping of cheap and fake goods into poor third-world countries like PNG.
In foreign relations, trade and investment, countries operate on mutual respect and understanding for one another. China is using PNG as a dumping ground for its cheap and fake products. I am sure many people have their experiences and accounts to share on the goods and items they put in many Chinese shops and outlets throughout PNG.
The clothes and materials you buy will never last more than a month.
Very cheap products like boom boxes and fire crackers, apart from other items deemed illegal under our ICCC laws, are causing problems in our communities.
We had the golden opportunity to raise two very important concerns to China during the Apec 2018 hosted on our shores.
We never did that because of the simple fact that despite hosting Apec in PNG, we borrowed billions of Chinese yen to build Apec infrastructure in Port Moresby.
I believe this is one of the reason why US President Donald Trump refused to attend, and sent Vice-President Mike Pence instead.
How can the leader of the world’s most powerful nation troll his feet on infrastructure built by the Chinese? All in all, China must respect PNG and do diplomacy, business and trade with us in the way it is supposed to be done, as shown by the US, Australia, New Zealand and others.
We must not be another third-world dumping ground for cheap and fake products. At the moment it seems to me that our leaders have trapped PNG’s sovereignty in China’s dollar-diplomacy basket.
We truly have become a dumping ground for China in the Look North Policy.

Freddy Gigmai
Goroka, Eastern Highlands