On April 13, 2018, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with visiting Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Rimbink Pato of Papua New Guinea at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing.

Wang Yi said that Papua New Guinea is an important member of the big Asia-Pacific family and an important participant in international and regional affairs. China and Papua New Guinea are good friends and good partners with a shared future and enjoying common development. The development of bilateral relations has witnessed fruitful achievements since the establishment of diplomatic relations 42 years ago. In recent years, under the guidance of the important consensus reached by leaders of the two countries on establishing the strategic partnership of mutual respect and common development, bilateral relations have embarked on the fast track of development. China supports Papua New Guinea in well holding the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting in 2018, and is willing to strengthen coordination and cooperation with Papua New Guinea under the APEC framework. China adheres to the principles of sincerity, practical results, affinity and good faith and the values of friendship, justice and shared interests when developing the relations with the Pacific Island countries. China respects the Pacific Island countries' independent choice of social system and development path suitable to their own national conditions. China and the Pacific Island countries respect and support each other, and the mutually beneficial cooperation between both sides is South-South cooperation between developing countries, which does not target any third party.

Wang Yi said that this year is a crucial year for the development of China-Papua New Guinea relations. President Xi Jinping will attend the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Papua New Guinea this November. The two sides should take this as an opportunity to speed up the advancement of exchanges at all levels and in various fields, deepen cooperation under the "Belt and Road" framework, expand coordination in international and regional affairs, and jointly safeguard the multilateral trade system, so as to promote the development of bilateral strategic partnership to usher in a new era.

Rimbink Pato expressed that the people of Papua New Guinea are earnestly looking forward to President Xi Jinping's attendance at the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Papua New Guinea this November. Papua New Guinea attaches great importance to developing relations with China and firmly upholds the one-China principle. The country is willing to, together with China, strengthen coordination and cooperation, and well prepare for important bilateral high-level exchanges within this year, so as to provide greater assistance for the development of bilateral relations. Papua New Guinea opposes the trend of de-globalization and the rise of trade protectionism, and fully supports the process of multilateralism. Papua New Guinea thanks China for the long-term and precious support for the country's national construction and its response to natural disasters. The country is willing to work with China to accelerate the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" and actively promote exchanges and practical cooperation in various fields, so as to make it a model of the "Belt and Road" construction in the region of the Pacific Island countries.

The two sides also exchanged views on international and regional topics of common interest.