China protests to Papua New Guinea over riots that damaged Chinese stores and injured its citizens
- Embassy in Port Moresby ‘lodged solemn representation’ after violence sparked by public servant strike led to deaths and looting
- PM calls state of emergency as Beijing asks PNG to ensure safety of its citizens and ‘penalise perpetrators severely’
On Thursday, PNG Prime Minister James Marape declared a 14-day state of emergency with defence personnel standing by in case the violence escalates.
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A handful of Chinese shops in the capital Port Moresby have been looted during the unrest and two Chinese nationals were hurt, according to China’s foreign ministry on Thursday. No Chinese nationals are reported to have died in the riots.
“The Chinese embassy in PNG has lodged solemn representation with the Papua New Guinea side over the attacks on the Chinese shops,” Beijing’s embassy in Port Moresby said in a statement.
Chinese nationals should step up precautions and avoid going out, especially to crowded areas, the embassy advised.
Foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said the embassy had initiated an “emergency consular protection mechanism” and that the Chinese side had asked PNG “to take further effective measures to ensure the safety of Chinese nationals and businesses, and penalise perpetrators severely”.
In recent years, China has boosted its diplomatic outreach among countries in the South Pacific. Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged to expand cooperation in areas ranging from agriculture, energy and minerals, to infrastructure, when he met Marape in Beijing in October.