"I hope that Japan will listen to the views of some island nations and listen to the concerns of surrounding communities, so that it can take a more responsible approach rather than directly pouring nuclear-contaminated water into the Pacific Ocean." On July 5, Peter O'Neill, a former prime minister of Papua New Guinea, gave an exclusive interview to a reporter from the Beijing News about Japan's plans to discharge nuclear-contaminated water into the sea.
Located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, Papua New Guinea is a resource-rich and multicultural developing country. China and Pakistan have maintained good bilateral relations since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1976, and in recent years, the two countries have maintained close high-level interaction and expanded economic and trade exchanges. In 2018, Papua New Guinea joined the Belt and Road Initiative and signed a capacity building cooperation agreement with China.
O'Neill served as Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea from 2011 to 2019, during which time he visited China many times and actively promoted cooperation between Pakistan and China. On July 5, O'Neill delivered a speech at the Beijing headquarters of the Globalization Think Tank (CCG), giving his views on cooperation between China, Papua New Guinea and Pacific Island countries in the 21st century.
Former Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, Peter O'Neill, speaks at the Beijing headquarters of the Globalization Think Tank (CCG) on July 4. Photo courtesy of CCG
After the meeting, O'Neill was interviewed by a reporter from the Beijing News to discuss topics such as Japan's nuclear contaminated water discharge into the sea, China-Pakistan relations, "Belt and Road" cooperation, and climate change.
O'Neill said that Pakistan-China relations are currently facing some challenges, but the two countries have a long history of friendly exchanges and believe that the relationship between the two countries can be further developed in the future. For the entire Pacific island region, O'Neill believes that the region should go beyond the influence of geopolitics and carry out more extensive cooperation with China to jointly promote peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.
Japan should act more responsibly
Beijing News: First of all, we would like to talk about the discharge of Japan's nuclear contaminated water into the sea. On July 4, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) released a comprehensive assessment report on the disposal of contaminated water in Fukushima, Japan, which found to be in line with international safety standards, which caused heated discussions. Pacific island countries have questioned Japan's plans to discharge contaminated water from the outset, and Pacific Islands Forum Secretary-General Pune issued a statement in late June, once again expressing concern. What do you think about this?
O'Neill: I haven't seen the IAEA report yet, but I think international organizations should also have procedures for consulting and informing interested parties before reaching conclusions. So far, the scientific data provided to Pacific island countries [on the discharge of contaminated water from Japan] to the sea does not provide confidence that this is a safe practice, which is why many Pacific island countries have made it clear that they do not support Japan's discharge of contaminated water into the sea. They didn't convince us that doing so would ensure the safety of marine life, the safety of communities, and the safety of the Pacific Ocean itself.
I hope that Japan will listen to the views of these island nations and the concerns of the surrounding communities on this issue, so that it can act more responsibly and find another, safer way to deal with this issue instead of directly dumping nuclear-contaminated water into the Pacific Ocean.
Papua New Guinea has benefited greatly from the Belt and Road Initiative
Beijing News: China and Papua New Guinea have a long history of exchanges, and the relationship between the two countries has been further deepened during your tenure as prime minister. In your speech, you mentioned that after the change of government in Papua New Guinea, some policies may change, which will lead to changes in the relations between the two countries. So how would you describe the current China-Pakistan relationship?
O'Neill: I think the relationship between the current PNG government and China does face some issues that need to be properly addressed, such as the recent defense cooperation agreement [signed between PNG and the United States], which I think undermines the policy position of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the South Pacific.
Pakistan and China have long-standing friendly relations. Over time, the relationship between the two countries will be further improved. The future of both Pakistan and China is bright, and I am full of confidence in this.
On May 19, 2023, local time, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, China and Papua New Guinea began cooperation. The picture shows a local architectural project called Chinatown. Photo/Visual China
Beijing News: This year marks the 10th anniversary of China's Belt and Road Initiative, and Papua New Guinea became the first Pacific island country to sign a memorandum of understanding with China in 2018 on the construction of the Belt and Road. What was the main reason you decided to join this initiative at that time? What do you think the Belt and Road Initiative has brought to Papua New Guinea?
O'Neill: Papua New Guinea is the most populous and largest country in the Pacific Islands region, and we need better infrastructure to serve its people, and the Belt and Road Initiative presents huge opportunities from the start.
I signed up to join the initiative primarily because of the needs of our country. I think joining the BRI will allow our country to take advantage of these opportunities and thus develop better. For example, getting cheaper financing and allowing experienced contractors to come to PNG to build and operate infrastructure, schools, hospitals, roads, airports, etc., thereby boosting the economy and improving people's lives. So overall, Papua New Guinea has benefited greatly from the Belt and Road Initiative.
Pacific island countries need to move beyond geopolitical influence
Beijing News: In May this year, the government of Papua New Guinea and the United States signed a defense cooperation agreement, which caused a lot of controversy in Papua New Guinea, and some people worry that this will drag Papua New Guinea and the Pacific island countries into great power competition. What do you think of this protocol? What strategy do you think Papua New Guinea and the Pacific island countries should adopt in their geopolitical disputes?
O'Neill: I don't think signing such an agreement is good for PNG, it's good for the South Pacific, it's just going to lead to more problems, more conflicts. So first, we need to challenge this agreement in court. In court, we will find that it violates our constitution and therefore needs to be canceled. This is currently what we are pursuing.
Papua New Guinea has always adhered to the foreign policy of "making friends and not making enemies", but this government is slowly changing this, which makes our citizens not very happy.
For the Pacific island region, I believe we need to go beyond geopolitical influences and focus on pursuing development and implementing the Sustainable Development Goals, and carry out broader cooperation with China to jointly promote peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.
Waterfront views of Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea. Photo/Visual China
Beijing News: Then what do you think of the future cooperation between China and Papua New Guinea and the entire Pacific island region? What do you think should be prioritized?
O'Neill: I think both China and Pakistan can get economic development opportunities in the construction of Pacific island countries. First of all, infrastructure investment and construction, the "Belt and Road" initiative, the "Blue Ocean Policy", etc., are some of the development strategies that are conducive to the social well-being of Papua New Guinea and Pacific island countries. We should pay attention to the development of economy, trade and people-to-people relations.
Secondly, we also face many big challenges, such as climate change and development problems brought about by population growth. China has a lot of experience and mature technology in these areas, and I think we can strengthen cooperation in these areas.
Beijing News: Indeed, the Pacific island region is one of the regions most affected by climate change, and Papua New Guinea ranked 9th in the world in 2021 among the countries most at risk of climate change and natural disasters. What are the biggest challenges facing PNG and the Pacific island countries today in addressing climate change? What are your expectations for COP28 (COP28)?
O'Neill: Climate change has been discussed for many years, and we have put forward a lot of targets, but the international community has failed to meet them. China has been pushing for a solution to this issue, and we hope that China can take a more active stance on climate change mitigation and adaptation, which is very important to push the international community to achieve the goals we have set.
Sea-level rise is a major challenge for us, and we continue to face challenges in post-disaster resettlement and infrastructure reconstruction. China has extensive experience in addressing climate change and natural disasters, as it has also suffered floods, torrential rains and other disasters in recent years. I think China can share these experiences in dealing with natural disasters with Pacific island countries to help the island countries mitigate the effects of climate change.
For the upcoming COP28, I have been to too many COP meetings and put forward a lot of initiatives, I don't know what else I can expect... I think the most important thing now is not to continue to discuss ways and means to tackle the climate crisis – we already know what to do, but to act to push every country to meet the emissions reduction targets it has set. We need actions, not simple promises.
Beijing News reporter Xie Lian
Edited by Chen Jing Proofread by Li Lijun