The World Bank President Ajay Banga says China is beginning to "play its role" in easing the debt burden for developing countries, but warned Pacific nations needed more support for climate resilience. Banga told the Lowy Institute, a Sydney-based think tank, that unlike the previous debt crisis, there was a growing presence of bilateral and commercial lenders, but "China is the one we all talk about". China is the second biggest lender in the Pacific, providing US$2.9 billion to Pacific Island governments between 2008 and 2021, research by the institute found. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES