China encourages its enterprises to expand investment in Papua New Guinea, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said here Monday while meeting with the country's Prime Minister Michael Thomas Somare.

"China is willing to enhance cooperation with Papua New Guinea in major sectors of agriculture, forestry, fishery, energy, telecom and transport," Wen told Somare, who came to this north China' s port city Tianjin to attend the Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2010, also known as the Summer Davos.

Wen congratulated Somare on his country' s 35th anniversary of independence, believing that Papua New Guinea would make more achievements in its social and economic development.

As a friend and partner of Pacific island countries, China will continue to provide assistance within its capacity for this region' s development, Wen noted.

Somare said Papua New Guinea valued the friendly ties with China, and firmly adhered to the one-China policy.

Applauding China' s unselfish help to Papua New Guinea' s national construction, Somare said his country welcomes the investment by Chinese enterprises to push forward bilateral cooperation.

The three-day forum has attracted some 1,500 participants from nearly 90 countries and regions to discuss topics about the theme of "Driving Growth through Sustainability" .

Wen is to address the opening ceremony of the meeting hosted by the Davos-based World Economic Forum, later Monday.