The prime minister of the most populous Pacific Islands country arrived in China on Monday for a visit focused on mineral and agriculture trade.

He is expected to meet with Guangdong provincial leaders on Tuesday and with a major investor in the Frieda River copper and gold project on Thursday.

“Our relationship with China has a special focus on making sure trade grows and our economic relationship prospers,” Marape told reporters on Monday.

“We want to also progress Frieda River in a substantial manner,” he added.

The undeveloped project – located in Papua New Guinea’s remote and mountainous West Sepik Province – contains one of the world’s largest undeveloped copper deposits, according to Chinese-owned mining company PanAust.

PanAust is a subsidiary of Chinese state-owned Guangdong Rising Holding Group.

The Frieda River project is yet to receive a mining lease but was granted environmental permits for the mine and a planned airport, port, power grid and hydroelectric project in December.

Environmental groups have raised concerns with the UN Human Rights Council over the impact of the proposed dam and mine on local communities living downriver.

Resource-rich but largely undeveloped Papua New Guinea counts China as its largest export market, even as it has deepened security and defence ties with Canberra and Washington in recent years.