The rise and rise of China: Contemporary Chinese community in PNG (2010–2020)

What is it about?

James Chin’s chapter in this collection further develops his interest in the Chinese living in PNG. He updates his now classic 2008 article on the Chinese in Port Moresby. Both works are full of lively anecdotes delivered in an engaging style. Chin’s work is part of a broader body of research on Chinese living in urban PNG. Much of the first wave of this research began in 1970s and focused primarily on Rabaul (Wu, 1982; Cahill, 2012). The second wave has focused more on Chinese life in Port Moresby and the emergence of the most recent ‘new Chinese’ in PNG generally (Chin, 2008; Ichikawa, 2006; Smith, 2014). In his chapter, Chin argues that the mainland Chinese have now become a dominant economic and political force in PNG. They dominate the local Chinese community and rival Australia for influence in national politics. He also makes suggestions about what might happen in the future. He thinks the PNG elite will play Australia and China against each other and that China is seen is as ‘more flexible’ and less concerned with issues of corruption than Australia. Chin argues that China will replace Australia as the most influential external actor in PNG politics. While PNG will move closer to China on political issues, it will remain more aligned with Australia culturally. He argues that these power shifts within PNG reflect the rise of China on the global stage

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Photo by Bob Brewer on Unsplash

Photo by Bob Brewer on Unsplash