China has lost significant ground in our region

Perhaps the biggest setback came when Papua New Guinea committed to a comprehensive defence and security agreement with Australia. A highly successful short visit to PNG by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, backed up by the Foreign Minister, achieved what will be a good outcome for Australia.

The Marape Government will have incurred the ire of China on a range of issues. The PNG Foreign Minister has played a key role in bringing Australia and Papua New Guinea as close as we have been for a generation.

The only country where China continues to have real and growing success is the Solomon Islands.

The removal of the anti-China Premier of Malaita undoubtedly has Chinas finger prints over it.

A general election is overdue in the SI. The Sogavare Government, backed strongly by China, has been delaying national elections. It cannot continue to do so....much as Sogavare himself will try!

What continues to concern me about China's influence is its trade and economic dominance in key areas in a number of countries, most notably Papua New Guinea.

China has an absolute stranglehold over log exports from PNG. It also dominates when it comes to seafood imports...and a growing share of the import of PNG's agricultural exports.

Indeed, it now dominates seafood imports from many island nations with limited downstream processing.

With regard to PNG, the Papuan Region remains very vulnerable to Chinese influence through plans for Chinese sourced and managed projects especially on Daru, the closest community to Australia, and the Kikori-Ihu economic zone project, which China has provided initial funding for.

We need to do more to promote Australian interest in the Papuan Region. It must be our highest priority.

China is well placed to acquire full control of the Porgera Mine if Barrack loses patience and decides to exit.

China is probably interested in the Wafi Mine project currently controlled by Newcrest.