11-15-2018, 12:38 AM
*** 15-Nov-18 World View -- China and Australia compete for influence at APEC meeting in Papau New Guinea (PNG)
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
****
**** 500 US marines and other foreign troops arrive in PNG for APEC meeting
****
![[Image: g181114b.jpg]](http://Media.GenerationalDynamics.com/ww2010/g181114b.jpg)
The new Port Moresby International Convention Center, which will host the APEC summit, was built with Chinese aid money.
The USS Green Bay amphibious transport dock ship arrived in Port
Moresby, the capital city of Papua New Guinea (PNG), on Wednesday,
with 500 US marines and US Navy servicemen to provide security and
support for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’
Summit being held later this week.
About 4,000 military personnel, around half of them foreign, will work
with hundreds of police to patrol Port Moresby for APEC, which will
attract representatives from 21 nations.
There is a 1,500-strong Australian Defense Force (ADF) contingent,
along with RAAF F/A-18 Super Hornet fighters, surveillance aircraft
and a helicopter carrier moored in Port Moresby harbor. Vessels from
Australia, New Zealand and the US will guard the capital's shores, and
all three countries have provided special forces. Working alongside
them in an operation that has taken more than a year to plan will be
about 2,000 Papua New Guinea (PNG) troops.
Much of the summit will take place in a $35 million convention centre
built with Chinese aid and Beijing has donated nine fire engines,
along with 50 coaches and 35 mini buses for use at the event.
However, Chinese troops were excluded from the security forces.
Papua New Guinea (PNG) is an island nation near Australia, which
provides it regularly with substantial aid. All of this security is
considered necessary because PNG is one of poorest, most corrupt, and
most dangerous countries in the world. Feared street gangs known as
"raskols" have made car jackings common and the country has among the
highest rates of rape and domestic violence in the world. PNG has a
population of 8 million — speaking 800 distinct languages and spread
out across some 600 islands. With 15,000 delegates expected at the
summit, security is essential. And due to a lack of hotel
accommodations, many will sleep in the three cruise liners docked at
the port.
In view of the corruption, poverty and street violence, many people
are concerned that PNG will not be able to pull this summit meeting
off. It's hoped that the massive influx of troops from the US,
Australia and New Zealand, as well as support from other countries,
will make the meeting a success.
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, or APEC, is a forum for
facilitating economic growth, cooperation, trade and investment in the
Asia-Pacific region. The 21 members are the United States, Australia,
Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan,
Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines,
Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Donald Trump will not be attending the conference, much to the relief,
according to some reports, of the summit organizers. Instead, Mike
Pence will be representing to the United States. Stars and Stripes and Asia Pacific Report and AFP and Guardian (London)
****
**** China-Australia tensions high at APEC, after Australia's 'pivot to the Pacific'
****
Despite PNG's weak economy, high unemployment, corruption and street
violence, China still has considerable interest in PNG's vast swathes
of timber, and huge mineral, oil and gas deposits, which China is
looking to exploit.
China's investments in the region as part of its Belt and Road
Initiative (BRI) grew to $2.46 billion in the last year alone for
infrastructure projects such as roads and seaports.
Australia has become alarmed by this incursion into its sphere of
influence. As a result, prime minister Scott Morrison is announcing a
new "Pivot to the Pacific" program, where Australia will provide
grants and long-term loans for $2 billion for "high priority"
projects, inclding telecommunications, energy, transport and water.
Morrison said:
<QUOTE>"Australia has an abiding interest in a Southwest
Pacific that is secure strategically, stable economically and
sovereign politically. This is not just our region, or our
neighborhood. It's our home."<END QUOTE>
This announcement infuriated the Chinese, who must see it as a threat
to their unimpeded access to the region's resources that China wishes
to exploit. China's vice foreign minister Zheng Zeguang issued a
harsh response, accusing Australia of a "cold war mentality":
<QUOTE>"The Pacific Island region is not a sphere of
influence of any country.
[Australia should] objectively look at the relations between China
and the Pacific Island countries and to abandon Cold War mentality
and the zero-sum game mentality, which are both outdated. ...
Other countries should not obstruct China's friendly cooperation
and exchanges with the island nations. Of course, they have no
way to obstruct this cooperation and these
exchanges."<END QUOTE>
The government of PNG says that it has no intention at all of choosing
one of China or Australia over the other. It also says that it is
ready to accept aid and donations from all sides.
PNG's prime minister Peter O'Neill says that he is willing to play
peacemaker at the APEC summit. "It's not for me to address either of
those countries through the media as to what they should do, but as I
have said, for us, they are great friends of this country. So we will
do all we can to ensure, if we can, that there are no conflicts, to
the extent possible," he said. Australian Broadcasting and South China Morning Post (Hong Kong) and Australian Broadcasting (8-Nov) and Time
Related Articles
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Papua New Guinea, PNG, China, Australia,
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders' Summit, APEC,
USS Green Bay, Australian Defence Force, ADF, New Zealand,
Belt and Road Initiative, BRI, Zheng Zeguang, Peter O'Neill
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
- 500 US marines and other foreign troops arrive in PNG for APEC meeting
- China-Australia tensions high at APEC, after Australia's 'pivot to the Pacific'
****
**** 500 US marines and other foreign troops arrive in PNG for APEC meeting
****
The new Port Moresby International Convention Center, which will host the APEC summit, was built with Chinese aid money.
The USS Green Bay amphibious transport dock ship arrived in Port
Moresby, the capital city of Papua New Guinea (PNG), on Wednesday,
with 500 US marines and US Navy servicemen to provide security and
support for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’
Summit being held later this week.
About 4,000 military personnel, around half of them foreign, will work
with hundreds of police to patrol Port Moresby for APEC, which will
attract representatives from 21 nations.
There is a 1,500-strong Australian Defense Force (ADF) contingent,
along with RAAF F/A-18 Super Hornet fighters, surveillance aircraft
and a helicopter carrier moored in Port Moresby harbor. Vessels from
Australia, New Zealand and the US will guard the capital's shores, and
all three countries have provided special forces. Working alongside
them in an operation that has taken more than a year to plan will be
about 2,000 Papua New Guinea (PNG) troops.
Much of the summit will take place in a $35 million convention centre
built with Chinese aid and Beijing has donated nine fire engines,
along with 50 coaches and 35 mini buses for use at the event.
However, Chinese troops were excluded from the security forces.
Papua New Guinea (PNG) is an island nation near Australia, which
provides it regularly with substantial aid. All of this security is
considered necessary because PNG is one of poorest, most corrupt, and
most dangerous countries in the world. Feared street gangs known as
"raskols" have made car jackings common and the country has among the
highest rates of rape and domestic violence in the world. PNG has a
population of 8 million — speaking 800 distinct languages and spread
out across some 600 islands. With 15,000 delegates expected at the
summit, security is essential. And due to a lack of hotel
accommodations, many will sleep in the three cruise liners docked at
the port.
In view of the corruption, poverty and street violence, many people
are concerned that PNG will not be able to pull this summit meeting
off. It's hoped that the massive influx of troops from the US,
Australia and New Zealand, as well as support from other countries,
will make the meeting a success.
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, or APEC, is a forum for
facilitating economic growth, cooperation, trade and investment in the
Asia-Pacific region. The 21 members are the United States, Australia,
Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan,
Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines,
Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Donald Trump will not be attending the conference, much to the relief,
according to some reports, of the summit organizers. Instead, Mike
Pence will be representing to the United States. Stars and Stripes and Asia Pacific Report and AFP and Guardian (London)
****
**** China-Australia tensions high at APEC, after Australia's 'pivot to the Pacific'
****
Despite PNG's weak economy, high unemployment, corruption and street
violence, China still has considerable interest in PNG's vast swathes
of timber, and huge mineral, oil and gas deposits, which China is
looking to exploit.
China's investments in the region as part of its Belt and Road
Initiative (BRI) grew to $2.46 billion in the last year alone for
infrastructure projects such as roads and seaports.
Australia has become alarmed by this incursion into its sphere of
influence. As a result, prime minister Scott Morrison is announcing a
new "Pivot to the Pacific" program, where Australia will provide
grants and long-term loans for $2 billion for "high priority"
projects, inclding telecommunications, energy, transport and water.
Morrison said:
<QUOTE>"Australia has an abiding interest in a Southwest
Pacific that is secure strategically, stable economically and
sovereign politically. This is not just our region, or our
neighborhood. It's our home."<END QUOTE>
This announcement infuriated the Chinese, who must see it as a threat
to their unimpeded access to the region's resources that China wishes
to exploit. China's vice foreign minister Zheng Zeguang issued a
harsh response, accusing Australia of a "cold war mentality":
<QUOTE>"The Pacific Island region is not a sphere of
influence of any country.
[Australia should] objectively look at the relations between China
and the Pacific Island countries and to abandon Cold War mentality
and the zero-sum game mentality, which are both outdated. ...
Other countries should not obstruct China's friendly cooperation
and exchanges with the island nations. Of course, they have no
way to obstruct this cooperation and these
exchanges."<END QUOTE>
The government of PNG says that it has no intention at all of choosing
one of China or Australia over the other. It also says that it is
ready to accept aid and donations from all sides.
PNG's prime minister Peter O'Neill says that he is willing to play
peacemaker at the APEC summit. "It's not for me to address either of
those countries through the media as to what they should do, but as I
have said, for us, they are great friends of this country. So we will
do all we can to ensure, if we can, that there are no conflicts, to
the extent possible," he said. Australian Broadcasting and South China Morning Post (Hong Kong) and Australian Broadcasting (8-Nov) and Time
Related Articles
- Australia passes foreign influence laws, targeting China (29-Jun-2018)
- Australia-China relations in crisis after revelation of Chinese bribery scandal (24-May-2018)
- New book documents extensive Chinese infiltration into Australia's organizations (26-Feb-2018)
- Concerns grow over China's covert infiltration into New Zealand's government (16-Feb-2018)
- China-Australia relations plummet over China's illegal militarization of South China Sea (16-Dec-2017)
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Papua New Guinea, PNG, China, Australia,
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders' Summit, APEC,
USS Green Bay, Australian Defence Force, ADF, New Zealand,
Belt and Road Initiative, BRI, Zheng Zeguang, Peter O'Neill
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
