APEC TENSIONS: CHINESE EXECS TRY TO STORM PAPUA NEW GUINEA FOREIGN MINISTRY

PORT MORESBY— The police were called when Chinese officials attempted to “barge” into the office of Papua New Guinea’s foreign minister, it emerged on Sunday, as Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit tensions boiled over.

The Chinese delegates “tried to barge in” to Rimbink Pato’s Port Moresby office on Saturday, in an eleventh-hour bid to influence a summit draft communique, but were denied entry, three sources with knowledge of the situation told AFP.

Tensions high

“Police were posted outside the minister’s office after they tried to barge in,” one source privy to summit negotiations told AFP, requesting anonymity. The diplomatic incident camewith tensions already high at a summit of Asia-Pacific leaders that has been overshadowed by a spat between the United States and China.

Deep divisions

Pato had refused to meet with the delegates, according to a source, who said: “It’s not appropriate for the minister to negotiate solo with the Chinese. The Chinese negotiating offi- cials know this.”

The minister himself sought to downplay the incident, telling AFP: “There wasn’t an issue.” The Chinese delegation has yet to comment publicly on the incident but was set to hold a news conference later Sunday.

The leaders were unable to agree on communique on Sunday as deep divisions between the United States and China over trade and investment dominated the meeting.

“You know the two big giants in the room,” Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O’Neill said at a closing news conference, when asked which members of the Apec group could not agree.

When asked about the main issues preventing agreement, O’Neill replied: “The World Trade Organization and reform of the World Trade Organization,” but said that was outside Apec’s remit.

“Apec has got no charter over World Trade Organization. That is a fact. Those matters can be raised at the World Trade Organization.”

A Leaders’ Declaration has been issued after every annual Apec leaders’ meeting since the first in 1993, the group’s website shows.