China, PNG and the principle of non-interference

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China is the largest of all Asian countries. It has the largest population of any country in the world. The population factor is a driving force behind the growth and transformation of the country. The Chinese government will need to carry out massive projects and programs to ensure the population is happy and healthy.

Apart from domestic projects and programs, the Chinese government will also need foreign policies that complements what is happening domestically. For example, a foreign policy of war or foreign intervention will be detrimental to the growth of the Chinese economy.

As such, China has practiced a foreign policy of non-interventionism based on the five principles of peaceful coexistence:
  1. mutual respect for each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity
  2. mutual non-aggression 
  3. mutual non-interference in each other's internal affairs
  4. equality and mutual benefit
  5. peaceful coexistence

China's foreign policy of non-intervention is aimed at creating a peaceful international society. It wants to become a benevolent and peaceful power because it will depend on other countries for its own survival. The cordial relations with other countries will ensure that it sells its products to them, or for its companies to operate in their economies. 

The logic of harmonious co-existence stems from the concept of datong (harmony). Confucius stated that a morally cultivated person upholds harmony and does not push for uniformity. Furthermore, the Confucius saying: "Let a ruler be a ruler, the subject a subject, a father a father, and a son a son" helps us to understand the importance harmony. 

China has not forced any country in the world to follow its hybrid system of government. It has not secretly funded any political group or single politician in any country to push for a one-party system of government. Also, it has not condemned in a negative way any country for giving too much freedom to its citizens.   

The recent trade tension between China and Australia is an important case. It is really difficult to pinpoint the exact time or moment when the tension began. The trade tension has deep connections to the great trade war between China and the US which started in 2017, when Trump became the president.
 
The decision by the Turnbull government to ban Huawei from participating in Australia's 5G network rollout based on national security grounds could be identified as a starting point. This is because, after the decision, Huawei decided to dump its major sponsorship deal with NRL team the Canberra Raiders. The ban started in August 2018 when Australia blocked Huawei and ZTE from providing equipment for its 5G network. 
 
Moreover, China is known as a country which operates under the 'One Country, Two Systems' banner. For so long, Hong Kong has been operating as a democratic municipality with less intervention from Beijing. The same can be said for Macau and Taiwan, both are special administrative regions.
 
On 9 July 2020, the Prime Minister and Attorney-General of Australia expressed deep concern about China's imposition of the National Security Law. The National People's Congress Standing Committee on 30 June 2020 decided to pass the National Security Law unanimously, which according to Australia and other democratic countries, is a threat to the democratic system of government used by Hong Kong. 
 
In particular, Amnesty International claimed that the National Security Law allows various state apparatus to undermine the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights including Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Agents representing the various state apparatus in matters of national security can convict any person(s) for national security offenses. That means citizens should be mindful of what they say face-to-face, on mainstream media or on social media platforms.  
 
It is interesting to note that the Australia Foreign Minister has made a formal statement on Hong Kong. In the statement, she talked about the rights and freedoms enjoyed by the people of Hong Kong. Ironically, Australia is yet to make a formal statement about the rights and freedoms of the Melanesians in West Papua. The geographical proximity of West Papua in comparison to Hong Kong prompts one to question why.  

On the other hand, China views this as an internal matter. As such, the expectation is for Australia to respect China's sovereignty. This sentiment was clearly outlined by the Cuban representative to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva. She said; "This is not a question about human rights and should not be discussed at the human rights council". More importantly, she reminded everyone that interfering with a sovereign state's internal affairs is the basic principle of the UN Charter and international order. 
 
PNG supported Cuba's view by voting for the resolution. As part of the international society, PNG had decided to look at the issue from a different perspective in comparison to Australia. The issue is not related to human rights but concerns China's domestic system of government. PNG just like any country respects the sovereignty of China. 
 
The same respect is viewed in the case of PNG-Indonesia relations. Different governments have reiterated the stance that West Papua is an internal issue and that PNG respects Indonesia's sovereignty. Philip Mitna made a similar observation, he said "successive governments have refrained from condemning the human rights abuses and have often claimed that it was Indonesia's domestic problem". 
 
However, Mitna talked about Peter O'Neill's rhetoric in relation to the atrocities committed against the Melanesian people in 2015, he said the statement signaled a change in PNG's non-interference policy. However, the statement from Rimbink Pato in 2018 nullified O'Neill's rhetoric when he met with Rento Marsudi. He said the media misreported PNG's position, PNG sees West Papua as an integral part of Indonesia and there is no intention to ever change this view.
 
Furthermore, the 'One China' policy is another example of PNG's non-interference stance. Since independence, PNG has maintained that Taiwan is an integral part of the People's Republic of China. The chequebook diplomacy strategy used by Taiwan over years have not been successful in influencing PNG to switch diplomatic recognition. 
 
 
 
The principle of 'mutual non-interference in each other's internal affairs' features in China and PNG's foreign policies. Both countries are very cautious not to interfere in a patronizing way into the internal affairs of their bilateral partners in order to stain their relationships.     

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