PM, delegates attend road and belt forum in China

PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill and his delegation attended the second Road and Belt Forum in China last week.
He arrived in Beijing with Foreign Affairs Minister Rimbink Pato and was joined by ministers for Arts, Culture and Tourism Emil Tammur, Lands and Physical Planning and Apec Minister Justin Tkatchenko and MP Robert Atiyafa.
O’Neill held fruitful bilateral discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and later Premier Li Keqiang.
He was given a guard of honour and treated to a red-carpet welcome by the Chinese People’s Red Army guards at the Beijing Capital International Airport.
O’Neill was met on arrival by the vice-chairman of the Communist Party Yi Wen.
He then paid a visit to the People’s Hall (China’s National Parliament) where he was met by President Xi Jinping.
O’Neill later had dinner with another senior ranking official of the Chinese Community Party Zhao Leji.
Zhao Leji is a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China. The meeting took place at the Yangzi Village Resort outside Beijing.
On Friday, O’Neill attended the official opening of the 2nd Belt and Road Forum by President Xi Jinping at the China National Convention Centre. Leaders and heads of governments of more than 40 countries, who were part of the road and belt initiative for development by China.
O’Neill was given the honour to address a high-level meeting soon after the opening ceremony.
He said the belt and road initiative would benefit the country through the development of road and sea infrastructure that would connect and link people to markets and main centres of business.
“I not only represent my country but the greater Pacific Islands countries which is a wider community with a vast sea ocean which links China and greater Asia.
‘’The Chinese government’s road and belt initiative with better and improved shipping routes and wharves infrastructure will open the greater potential PNG has and the Pacific can offer to Asia.
‘’That is why the belt and road initiative will benefit the Pacific region by opening up domestic routes and improving supply chains in the member countries that passes through.”
O’Neill told the high-level meeting that governments who were part of the road and belt initiative were happy that China was working with them and the private sector in improving road and other infrastructure in their countries to connect people, businesses and governments through improved railways, roads, bridges and sea routes.
‘’Therefore, we must remove red tape beyond the border barriers so that we can trade and listen to the needs of our businesses which help with the development of our governments and country.
‘’For PNG, it is in China that we have a friend who is just doing that by supporting the infrastructure development of PNG, with Chinese businesses partnering our local businesses.
‘’We have developed a story and vibrant friendship over the last four decades’.
‘’Our bilateral relationship has now been elevated to a very comprehensive partnership.”
O’Neill said China was becoming one of PNG’s most important and strongest trading partners, with exporting of resources to Chinese markets.
‘’So today PNG supports and congratulates China for the one road and one belt initiative. It is the core responsibility of our government to improve the quality of our people’s lives and with such support to improve infrastructure and improved road networks by China, we can achieve better results.”