Shifting Foreign Policy with Shift in Power: A Focus on Energy

Shifting Foreign Policy with Shift in Global Power: A Focus on Energy
Francis Hualupmomi
Already there is a shift in global power from the West towards Asian region, especially China. Almost all scholars have generally described China as the centre of gravity in the new Asian hemisphere attracting foreign investments. PNG must shift its foreign policy with the shift in global power focusing more on international economic cooperation in order to attain Vision 2050.
The collapse of Cold War saw triumph of capitalism constructing a new US-led liberal order. Others also perceive it as the emergence of a new wave of globalization as described rightly by Thomas L. Friedman; the winner of Financial Times/Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year entitled The World is Flat: The Globalised World in the 21st Century (2007).
China, after years of isolation and several humiliations from the West and Imperial Japan, reopened its door to international community and aggressively integrated into the new order in 1970s under a socialist manifesto. The Chinese model as a rising power is manifested in her hybrid framework of development, a model that underpins a balance between socialism and capitalism. Yet seen as paradox, the liberal order provided the stimulus for her sudden rise to attain global prominence.
Today, China is the second global economic power superseding Japan in 2009. The economy is currently growing rapidly relative to US at a growth rate of 9.1 per cent. China is now the largest consumer and exporter of US.










There is a shift in economic power to Asia, in particular China. Foreign investors see China as the new economic power in the region and begin diverting the course of direction. Most scholars and policy makers described this shift in global power as an ‘economic hollowing’ affecting big market powers such as US and EU in relative sense however, economic powers rise and fall in historical nomenclature, which should be seen as an advantage in maximizing the economy.
One of the main reasons in China’s peaceful rise is the role of her foreign policy in facilitating economic advancement and prosperity. The current China’s foreign policy is fundamentally aimed at attaining a “Peaceful Great Power” status in the future through economic development focusing on balancing soft and hard diplomacy in international relations. An important objective in the foreign policy is to build a robust soft diplomacy with developing countries to share her development aspirations. Today, Africa is China’s largest developing country partner followed by Pacific, Latin America and others.
The question now is how should PNG benefit from this new Chinese diplomacy? First in consistent with Vision 2050 it should refocus her foreign policy towards the new shift in power in global politics. It should consider emphasizing a closer economic and trade partnership with China.
China has the economic capacity and capability to assist developing countries as part of her soft diplomacy to achieve economic prosperity. PNG has vast untapped resources which can be developed by Chinese expertise. One of the important economic potential resources is energy which can by converted into energy sources and economic gains. Our foreign policy should embrace international cooperation in foreign investment in the areas f energy innovation and development.
Marketing energy potentials to China is a rational choice in the long run. Energy is the single biggest market in the global market economy and has the potential to transform the economy. If PNG can maximize energy potential through win-win diplomacy with China, I posit she may become the next economic power in the Pacific theater.