The Yegiora Files

By Bernard Yegiora Why might Papua New Guineans welcome Australian mining investment while expressing reservations about Chinese investment in the same sector? And what does rugby league have to do with that difference? These questions connect our research on Ramu NiCo with Australia’s use of sport in its relationship with PNG. My argument is that rugby league gives Australia a powerful resource for building attraction: an existing emotional connection that investment and diplomatic statements alone cannot easily reproduce. What our Ramu NiCo research tells us In our 2025 Australian Journal of International Affairs article , Denghua Zhang and I examined local perceptions of Ramu NiCo’s corporate social responsibilities. Our research involved 513 survey participants—413 Divine Word University students and 100 people surveyed around the Madang town market—and 44 interviews. The comparison was striking. Among market respondents, 79% opposed further Chinese investment in PNG’s mining ...

By Bernard Yegiora Retired Major-General Jerry Singirok raises a legitimate concern in The National’s article, “Defence alliance a worry” , published on 27 October 2026. His warning is that closer defence cooperation with Australia and the United States could create strategic dependency and encourage Papua New Guinean officers to understand security through the priorities of larger powers.  Screenshot of The National’s report, “Defence alliance a worry” (27 October 2026), highlighting retired Major-General Jerry Singirok’s concerns about PNG’s sovereignty and strategic dependency. Source: The National . This concern deserves serious consideration. It also raises a practical question: how well equipped are our own institutions and officers to ensure these partnerships serve PNG’s national interests? My view is that officers in the Department of Defence (DoD) and the PNG Defence Force (PNGDF) need a strong understanding of our national interests, the threats we face and the insti...

By Bernard Yegiora I have not published on this blog for the past few days following the death of Mr. Dickson Susub. His passing has made me pause and reflect on his contribution to my life and the beginning of my academic career. Mr. Susub joined the Political Science Strand at the University of PNG in 2005, when I was a third-year student. In 2009, as Strand Leader, he and the late Mr. Anthony Sil gave me the opportunity to work as a part-time tutorial fellow. That appointment marked the start of my academic career. Looking back, I recognize how much depended on that first opportunity. Before the years of teaching, postgraduate studies, and research, there were two senior academics willing to give me a chance. My academic journey cannot be told without acknowledging them. Some of my fondest memories are of having a beer with Mr. Susub and Mr. Sil. Their stories about their studies and life in the foreign service, followed by their analysis of international politics, made those gather...

By Bernard Yegiora How can PNG ensure development cooperation serves its national priorities while strengthening its international reputation? These questions guided the case studies assigned to Groups 5 and 6 in PG428 Foreign Policy in PNG at Divine Word University. Drawing on the Foreign Policy White Paper 2025, the case studies asked students to consider practical approaches to development cooperation, national branding, soft power, and public diplomacy. Case Study 5: Development Cooperation Coordination and Aid Effectiveness Development cooperation can support PNG’s national development, but its effectiveness depends on how assistance is planned, coordinated, and managed. This case study placed students in the role of a development cooperation coordination team within the Department of National Planning and Monitoring. The scenario asked them to examine the risks of fragmented projects, donor-driven priorities, and weak integration with national and provincial planning systems. Th...

By Bernard Yegiora How can PNG turn its foreign-policy objectives into coordinated action? This question guided presentations by Groups 3 and 4 in PG428 Foreign Policy in PNG at Divine Word University, drawing on the Foreign Policy White Paper 2025. The session examined two areas where implementation depends on cooperation across government: border, maritime, and cyber security; and economic and commercial diplomacy for trade, investment, and jobs. Strengthening Security Cooperation Marshall Yob presented Group 3’s case study on Border, Maritime, and Cyber Security Cooperation . The group examined how fragmented responsibilities across security agencies can undermine responses to challenges such as transnational crime, smuggling, illegal fishing, and cyber threats. Its proposed whole-of-government framework emphasised clearer agency responsibilities, improved coordination, and joint operations. The central issue was how agencies with different mandates could work together towards shar...

By Bernard Yegiora How can PNG translate its foreign-policy ambitions into practical outcomes with limited diplomatic, financial, and administrative resources? This question connected two student presentations in PG428 Foreign Policy in PNG at Divine Word University. Drawing on the Foreign Policy White Paper 2025, Group 1 examined strategic bilateral partnership prioritisation, while Group 2 explored PNG’s multilateral engagement and ASEAN aspirations. The presentations moved beyond identifying desirable international relationships. Students considered the coordination, institutional responsibilities, and resources needed to make those relationships deliver benefits for PNG. Group 1’s proposed implementation framework links PNG’s Foreign Policy White Paper 2025 with national development priorities, highlighting coordination between the Department of Foreign Affairs, diplomatic missions, national agencies, and provincial and local-level governments. Case Study 1: Strategic Bilateral Pa...

By Bernard Yegiora PNG’s Foreign Policy White Paper 2025 provides an opportunity to reconsider how we teach International Relations at Divine Word University. I invite students, academic colleagues, foreign-service practitioners and anyone with a keen interest in PNG’s international relations to share their views on proposed changes to the seven IR units in our PNG and International Studies program. Review and introduced in 2023, the Bachelor of Arts (PNG and International Studies) Program Specification Document (2022) is approaching its five-year review cycle. We propose undertaking the review work in 2027, with a revised program ready for implementation in 2028 , subject to the university’s approval processes. This review will help us assess whether the curriculum remains academically sound and relevant to PNG’s needs. The White Paper provides an important policy reference for considering how our units prepare students to understand PNG’s international priorities and the challenges o...

By Bernard Yegiora Part 1 of a three-part series on language, intelligence and PNG’s security capacity The police operation in Port Moresby last week should command our attention beyond the immediate arrests. According to ABC News , officers found 39 Indonesian nationals allegedly confined in a house and forced to operate an online scam. Police detained four Chinese nationals suspected of involvement. Investigations and any criminal proceedings must establish what happened and who is responsible. Police in Port Moresby with people found during an investigation into an alleged human trafficking operation. The 39 Indonesian nationals were reportedly held against their will. Screenshot: ABC News ; photograph supplied to ABC by the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary. The first priority is the safety and dignity of the Indonesians. They need access to appropriate protection, interpretation and consular assistance. They may also hold evidence that helps investigators establish how they wer...

By Bernard Yegiora A recent statement by Police Minister Sir John Pundari raises an important question about how PNG classifies its external security relationships: should China now be regarded as one of PNG’s traditional security partners? According to an article published by The National , Sir John reaffirmed PNG’s commitment to strengthening relations with its traditional security partners while discussing proposed Chinese assistance to the Royal PNG Constabulary. The cooperation reportedly includes autonomous drones, information exchange, targeted training and prefabricated housing for police officers in remote areas. These measures are intended to improve surveillance, intelligence-led policing and the State’s response to illegal firearms, organised crime and cross-border criminal networks. Screenshot of The National article, “Security ties prioritised,” published on 17 September 2026, which prompted this reflection on China’s evolving security relationship with Papua New Guinea...

By Bernard Yegiora On 30 July 2026, I attended the Chinese Embassy’s Open House Day and the awarding ceremony for the “China in My Eyes” painting and video competition in Port Moresby. I attended because the event was relevant to my PhD research on China’s higher education exchange programs and their influence on relations between China and PNG. That single visit later produced two articles for The Yegiora Files . The first, “How China Is Engaging PNG’s Next Generation” , examined the participation of students, particularly those from Butuka Academy. The second, “How China Presented Its Partnership” , considered the wider story communicated through cultural performances and photographic displays of China–PNG cooperation. The two articles addressed different aspects of the same event. Reflecting on them together has helped me see more clearly why educational exchanges cannot be studied in isolation from the wider diplomatic environment in which they operate. An Embassy display introduci...

By Bernard Yegiora  A follow-up to How China Is Engaging PNG’s Next Generation Inside the Chinese Embassy in Port Moresby, guests stood and moved around the reception area. We gathered when the Chinese Ambassador spoke and when cultural performances began, including a puppet show. There were no rows of seats separating performers from the audience. The open arrangement allowed guests to watch, converse and move between activities. Guests gather inside the Chinese Embassy to watch a puppet performance during the cultural program, Port Moresby, 30 July 2026. Photograph by the author. This cultural engagement—and my conversation with a Butuka Academy student studying HSK2—formed the basis of my previous article on how China is engaging PNG’s next generation. But the event communicated another message beyond the performances. Outside, guests stood around a cocktail table as a female magician performed her tricks. The performance attracted a small circle of onlookers and continued the e...