Asia Pacific, Australia news, Australian foreign policy, China, Fishing, Pacific islands, Papua New Guinea, Torres Strait Islands, World news
Australia ‘overreacting’ to Chinese development plans on northern border
Chinese-backed plans for fishing plant and city on Papua New Guinea island in Torres Strait designed to ‘ruffle feathers’ in Australia, expert says
Australia has dramatically overreacted to speculative announcements of possible Chinese-funded development on the Papua New Guinea island of Daru, just north of Australia’s border in the Torres Strait, a former adviser to the PNG government has said.
“I think the Chinese just wanted to ruffle a few feathers on the Australian side,” Martyn Awayang Namoron said of the leaked letter describing plans to build a $39bn city on Daru, and last November’s memorandum of understanding signing to establish a “comprehensive multifunctional fishery industrial park” on the island.