China Seeks to Boost Influence With APEC Forum Host Papua New Guinea

A regional power play is happening whereby donor countries vie for influence with show-stopper gifts. China’s contributions have been panned.
China Seeks to Boost Influence With APEC Forum Host Papua New Guinea
The exterior view of a conference center for the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, on September 10, 2018. VANESSA 'NESS' KERTON/AFP/Getty Images
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SYDNEY—Workers in Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) capital are putting the finishing touches on a Beijing-funded boulevard to impress visiting world leaders at this month’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.

Critics say the six-lane road financed by China—complete with wide, illuminated footpaths—is emblematic of a regional power play in which donor countries vie for influence with show-stopper gifts.