This paper will explore emerging trends among three different sets of Chinese investors in the South Pacific：investors in the retail/wholesale，mining and construction sectors. Larger state-owned mining ventures and construction companies have become significant players in the South Pacific over the past decade，while small scale traders，largely from Fujian and Guangdong have come to dominate the retail trade. All three sets of investors face different degrees of pressure from their competitors，the media and different Chinese and local actors. Based on interviews with Chinese investors in the South Pacific and China，this paper will explore the interaction of these three groups of investors with Chinese state and non-state actors，and evaluate how this shapes their efforts at “localization.” The paper will examine how relations with state and non-state actors in PNG are evolving over time，as all three groups find ways to “get things done” in a region where mainland Chinese investors have a relatively short history of engagement.