Changing Triangular Relationships: A Historical Analysis of Labour Relations at a Chinese Mine in Papua New Guinea

This paper contributes to the literature on the expansion of Chinese multinational corporations (CMCs) in Papua New Guinea (PNG) by comparing the operation of a Chinese mine to that of the German New Guinea Company. I start by looking at the two economic positions (helper and merchant) performed by early Chinese immigrants to New Guinea during the colonial era and the host hostility they encountered. Then, a case study of a Chinese mining company in postcolonial PNG illustrates how local employees learned to negotiate with Chinese management through unionization instead of striking. In the meantime, Chinese personnel became subject to PNG industrial regulations based on Australian standards rather than operating as a modernizing agent to educate local workers. These findings suggest that, despite specific new Chinese communities becoming investors, they must dedicate resources towards comprehending local customs and legislation, given the enhanced agency of local actors.

[1] New Guinea here refers to areas colonized by the Germans before World War I and later incorporated into the Territory of New Guinea, which the Australian government administered between 1914 and PNG’s independence in 1975.

[2] The terms “locals,” “local people,” “local workers,” “local employees,” and “local actors” in this article refer to only Papua New Guineans, not Chinese people or Chinese employees.