Reuters
Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape said on Friday he looked forward to visits by China's foreign minister and Australia's prime minister in the coming days that demonstrated strong ties with countries accounting for more than 70% of its trade. The high-level visits showed Papua New Guinea's "strategic role and its robust diplomatic relations with major Asia-Pacific powers," the Papua New Guinea government said in a statement. The biggest Pacific Island nation, Papua New Guinea, is resource rich but largely undeveloped and is balancing growing trade ties with China, policing cooperation with Australia and a defence deal that gives the U.S. military access to its ports and airports.