Wang Yi’s South Pacific Tour Didn’t Go as Well as Planned… But That’s OK, He’ll Be Back

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi arriving at the Port Moresby Jacksons International Airport in Papua New Guinea on June 2, 2022. Andrew KUTAN / AFP

Wang Yi’s controversial tour of the South Pacific will finally come to an unceremonious end on Saturday. PR-wise this wasn’t Beijing’s finest moment.

My guess is the post-mortem next week at the Foreign Ministry in Beijing is going to be very unpleasant for those who mistakenly thought China’s ambitious development and security plan was going to be accepted by the ten-nation Pacific Island Country (PIC) coalition. 

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by Eric Olander

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