The Yegiora Files

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...

By Bernard Yegiora  At the Chinese Embassy in Port Moresby on 30 July 2026, I stood beside two uniformed students from Butuka Academy and a visiting artist from Guangdong Province. We held up the small artworks we had painted during a hands-on cultural activity, surrounded by brightly decorated Canton enamel porcelain featuring flowers, birds and traditional Chinese designs. The author with two Butuka Academy students and a visiting Guangdong artist during a cultural painting activity at the Chinese Embassy’s Open House Day in Port Moresby, 30 July 2026. (Photo courtesy of Bernard Yegiora) The photograph captures a seemingly simple cultural encounter. However, it also illustrates how China is building familiarity with its language and culture among PNG’s younger generation. I attended the Embassy’s Open House Day in connection with my PhD research on the influence of China’s higher education exchange programs on PNG–China relations. The event provided an opportunity to observe how ...

By Bernard Yegiora The meeting between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and PNG Foreign Affairs Minister Justin Tkatchenko in Manila on 22 July 2026 should not be treated as another routine diplomatic engagement. It confirms a significant change in the political foundations of China–PNG relations. PNG and China reaffirmed their deepening bilateral partnership during high-level talks in Manila on 22 July 2026, with the One-China Policy and expanded cooperation central to the discussions. The formal diplomatic position has not changed: PNG has recognised the People’s Republic of China and adhered to the 'One China' Policy since diplomatic relations were established in 1976. What has changed is how strictly PNG is now interpreting and implementing that policy. For almost four decades, PNG maintained a form of dual-track pragmatism . It recognised Beijing diplomatically while allowing unofficial commercial and economic relations with Taiwan. The decision to close the Taipei Econom...