"China should invest in sectors where it can also benefit. Investors can get returns not just by buying gas. This is one area where I believe companies from Guangdong should take a serious look, investing in promising new gas projects in Papua New Guinea."
That message came from Richard Nelson Maru, Papua New Guinea's Minister for International Trade and Investment, during an interview with South. He was part of a high-level delegation led by Prime Minister James Marape that visited the province in late April, as the two countries mark 50 years of diplomatic relations in 2026.
Richard Nelson Maru, Papua New Guinea's Minister for International Trade and Investment, in an exclusive interview with South.
Maru noted that while China is now PNG's largest export market for natural gas and energy, no Chinese company has yet established a presence in the country's petroleum sector. "We have interest from Australia, the United States, and France's TOTAL," he said. "But none of them will be buying gas from PNG."
That gap presents a real opening for Chinese investors. China's three largest oil companies—CNPC, Sinopec, and CNOOC—have already entered PNG's oil and gas sector through various partnerships, demonstrating strong financial and engineering capabilities.
Beyond energy, the minister outlined a range of incentives offered through special economic zones (SEZs). These cover tourism investments (hotels, private hospitals, office complexes, high-rise apartments), as well as agriculture, forestry, downstream processing, and fisheries. "If you invest in agriculture, we offer incentives. Go into downstream processing, and we offer incentives," he said.
The SEZ framework provides tax breaks, streamlined approvals, and infrastructure support to make investment more attractive.
PNG aims to reduce its reliance on imports and transition toward becoming a net exporter. "We currently import rice; we want to stop being an importer," Maru stressed. "We have the resources—land, fish, everything—but we need investors to help process raw materials into finished goods here in PNG and export them."
Prime Minister James Marape and his delegation visit Guangdong.
Major projects underscore deepening bilateral cooperation. The US$330 million China-PNG Comprehensive Agricultural Demonstration Park is currently in the planning stages in the Western Highlands and Eastern Highlands, with the conceptual design underway by China Railway International.
The China-aided Juncao and upland rice technology project, now entering its third phase, has been implemented in 20 districts across 10 provinces, training thousands and benefiting tens of thousands of locals. Guangdong enterprises are also active: Guangdong Rising Holdings Group is advancing the Frieda River copper-gold project, one of PNG's largest undeveloped mining assets.
Calling PNG "a land of opportunities," Maru said China is already the country's most important trading partner.
Bilateral trade exceeds US$8 billion annually. In 2025, Guangdong's trade with PNG reached 3.07 billion yuan, cementing PNG's position as Guangdong's largest trading partner in the Pacific islands region. In the first quarter of 2026, two-way trade surged 66% year-on-year to 920 million yuan.
"The opportunities for two-way trade and increased investment from China through Guangdong are huge," Maru concluded. "We need to network, build relationships, and bring in more investments."
Reporter: Guo Zedong
Video, cover & photo: Guo Hongda
