In November 2018 Port Moresby was a sea of red in the build up to the APEC leader’s summit. Chinese flags covered every road of Papua New Guinea’s capital while “China aid” was emblazoned – literally – on every traffic light. With China’s President tacking an official two-day state visit on to the start of the summit, it was well and truly the Xi show as the President-for-life charmed businesspeople and politicians alike. While traditional aid partners clawed back some of the narrative with a dubious electrification commitment and debated naval base, Xi Jinping was the talk of the town for many weeks after the dignitaries had left.
China’s declining Pacific aid presence | The Interpreter (lowyinstitute.org)