China’s Higher Education Diplomacy at the University of Goroka

The recent Post-Courier article “UoG warms up people to people bond with China” provides a snapshot of how China is embedding itself in PNG’s higher education sector. What may appear as a colourful cultural event—martial arts, Mandarin displays, and Chinese cuisine—is in fact part of a broader process of soft power projection. As my PhD research examines the influence of China’s Higher Education Exchange Programs on PNG–China relations, this article offers valuable evidence of how such programs are taking shape at the institutional and cultural level. University of Goroka Vice Chancellor Dr. Teng Waninga samples Chinese cuisine during the Sino–PNG cultural exchange, highlighting how food diplomacy complements language and education programs in shaping people-to-people ties. At the heart of the article is the framing of “people-to-people” diplomacy. This is central to my study, which looks at how exchange programs, scholarships, and language initiatives create interpersonal connection...