Luo Songsong

    songsongluo@126.com

    VISITING Ambassador Christopher Mero, from Papua New Guinea, said that his country’s developing tourism industry welcomes Chinese visitors with open arms.

    In Papua New Guinea tourists can enjoy the country’s vast seashore and ancestral culture, Mero said yesterday when he arrived in Shenzhen for an investment fair.

    With a population of 7 million people, Papua New Guinea occupies the eastern half of the island of New Guinea north of Australia. Papua New Guinea’s capital is Port Moresby, located on its southeastern coast.

    “In addition to the tourism industry, we are also seeking cooperation in the fields of oil, gas, mining, fishery and agriculture. Shenzhen is the Silicon Valley of China, and I am looking forward to partnership opportunities with local companies,” said Mero.

    The South Pacific country is one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world with more than 820 languages. Most of the population live in traditional communities.

    The nation has many natural resources, including minerals and renewable resources, such as timber, fish and farmland.

    Papua New Guinea established formal diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China in 1976 by signing a joint communiqué. The country is also a member of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) program.

    The country is one of the world’s least explored, culturally and geographically, and many undiscovered species of plants and animals are thought to exist in the interior. Strong growth in mining and the resource sector has led to the country becoming one of the fastest-growing economies in recent years.

    China is a significant provider of both investments and development aid to Papua New Guinea.

    In 2013, trade between the two countries reached US$1.35 billion, up by 5.5 percent from 2012.