May 30, 2022
Bougainville could be the world's next country. The small Pacific island of about 300,000 residents is fighting for its independence from Papua New Guinea, which is hopelessly in the pockets of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Bougainville wants nothing to do with it after successfully blocking Chinese influence in its own territory. In this episode of China Unscripted, we talk about Bougainville's plan for independence, why China covets Bougainville so much, and Bougainville's secret sauce to blocking Chinese influence. Joining us in this episode is John Kuhns, the chairman and CEO of Numa Numa Resources in Bougainville. John is also the author of the book They Call Me Ishmael, a novel based on the real story of a rebel leader with big dreams for his island.