From June 24 to July 7, 2025, China hosted the Seminar on Health Systems Strengthening for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Partner Nations in Beijing. Organised by the Ministry of Commerce of China, the seminar brought together health officials and experts from across the Global South, including five participants from Papua New Guinea.
The two-week program was part of China’s growing engagement with SIDS and other developing countries through capacity-building and knowledge exchange initiatives. With a focus on health system resilience, the seminar featured sessions on health governance, disease prevention and control, digital health, and traditional Chinese medicine, alongside site visits to hospitals and public health institutions in Beijing.
For PNG and other Pacific Island countries, the seminar provided a platform to exchange experiences in health sector reform, particularly in the wake of COVID-19 and its lasting impact on already fragile health systems. Participants explored strategies for achieving universal health coverage, strengthening primary care, and improving health infrastructure—areas of acute relevance for PNG, where rural and remote populations face significant barriers to accessing even basic health services.
The seminar also highlighted China’s emphasis on “South-South cooperation” as a key pillar of its global development outreach. In recent years, China has expanded its engagement with SIDS through medical aid, training programs, and infrastructure investment. While these initiatives are often framed around mutual benefit and solidarity, they also form part of Beijing’s broader strategy to strengthen diplomatic ties and deepen influence across the Pacific.
For PNG, participation in such programs reflects a continued diversification of development partnerships. While traditional donors like Australia, New Zealand, and multilateral institutions remain major players in health financing and systems support, China’s role is increasingly visible—particularly in areas such as hospital construction, training exchanges, and medical supply donations.
As health system challenges in the Pacific grow more complex—driven by demographic pressures, climate-related health risks, and the dual burden of infectious and non-communicable diseases—opportunities for technical collaboration and cross-border learning become increasingly important. Initiatives like the Beijing seminar offer one such avenue, though their long-term value will depend on follow-up support, integration with national health strategies, and alignment with local priorities.
Whether such engagements contribute to meaningful, sustainable improvements in health outcomes remains to be seen. But they undoubtedly reflect the evolving landscape of development cooperation in the Pacific—and the growing range of actors shaping it.