in Papua New Guinea, the Chinese presence irritates the population

In the middle of the Pacific Ocean, north of Australia, Papua New Guinea is one of the poorest countries in the world. But, for five years and the signing of a cooperative agreement, China has taken a close interest in it. In the capital Port Moresby, skyscrapers have sprung up, and many are Chinese-built, like street signs and bus stops, where Beijing is displayed in grand style. But this very conspicuous presence exasperates a large part of the population.

“They will come and take everything”

“The Chinese influence is very strong here, because they want to exercise their power over the rest of the world. […] They put a lot of money in our economy, but we remain suspicious“, explains Jamuga Stone, a martial arts teacher.In the near future, if this continues like this, we won’t have a place to stay and work, because they will come and take everything“, worries Heather Yaninen, trader.