THE third China-Pacific Island Countries Foreign Ministers’ Meeting is set to commence in China’s south east coast city of Xiamen on Wednesday 28 May, ushering in a new era of collaboration based on the four fundamental principles underpinning China’s diplomacy.
Solomon Islands Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade Peter Shanel and the Foreign Ministers and representatives from 10 other PICs are meeting with the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi as Beijing works to ensure transformative changes in its bilaterial partner nations in alignment with its vision of Building a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind.
The meeting will be chaired by the Chinese Foreign Minister.
Other PICs to be represented by their Foreign Ministers are Kiribati (President Taneti Maamau who is also the Foreign Minister, Niue (Premier Dalton Tagelagi who is also the Foreign Minister, Tonga (Crown Prince Tupouto’a ‘Ulukalala), Nauru (Lionel Rouwen Aingimea), Vanuatu (Marc Ati), Papua New Guinea (Justin Tkatchenko) and Cook Islands (Tingika Elikana). Fiji will be represented by its Assistant Foreign Minister and Deputy Speaker of Parliament Lenora Qereqeretabua, the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) by its Secretary of Foreign Affairs Lorin S. Robert, and Samoa by its Ambassador to China, Luamanuvae Mariner. The Deputy Secretary of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Esala Nayasi will also attend the meeting.
As has been constantly emphasized by Beijing, its bilaterial relations with PICs, like all its other bilateral relations are founded on the following four fundamental principles:
- Equality: China treats all its bilateral partners, including PICs, as equals. It sees all countries, whether small or big, as the same and upholds fairness, justice and sincerity in pursuing shared interests for tangible outcomes. China regards PICs as an important part of the South-South Cooperation and an important partner in Building a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind.
- Mutual respect: China always respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all its bilateral partners, including PICs. China respects PICs efforts to explore development paths in line with their own national conditions and needs. When conducting exchanges and cooperation with PICs, China never interfered in the internal affairs of PICs, never attached any political strings, and never sought any geopolitical interest.
- Win Win Cooperation: In adherence to the principle of win-win cooperation, China continues to be a builder and promoter of PICs development. China remains committed to deepening pragmatic cooperation with PICs in various fields to help develop their economies, improve their citizens’ wellbeing and enhance their capacity for self-development, and it shares the dividends of its development with PICs.
- Openness and Inclusivity: China upholds openness and inclusiveness. It deems the South Pacific should be a stage for cooperation, rather than an arena for vicious competition. China’s cooperation with PICs does not target any country, nor will it be disrupted by any country. China respects the various ties that PICs have established with other countries, and is openminded about carrying out more tripartite cooperation with other countries inside and outside the Pacific region.
During the course of this Xiamen China-PICs Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, the leaders are expected to review the progress made after their last meeting in Suva, Fiji in 2022, and chart the way forward under the China-PICs Comprehensive Partnership, which is strategically aligned to China’s greater vision of Building a Community with Shared Future for Mankind.
Furthermore, PICs Foreign Ministers and representatives will also engage in one-on-one bilateral discussions with the Chinese Foreign Minister.
Meanwhile, the Solomon Islands-China bilaterial relations, established in September 2019, has seen various tangible development outcomes such as the National Stadium, Solomon Islands National University Dorms that accommodated contingents for the 2023 Pacific Games, and the National Referral Hospital Comprehensive Medical Center.
The ChinaAid-funded Auki Road Tar-Sealing Project, and the National Broadband Infrastructure Project funded under China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) are making steady progress.
Chinese medical teams deployed to Solomon Islands since 2022 under the Solomon Islands-China medical cooperation, and have treated nearly 25,000 Solomon Islanders in Honiara and the provinces.
Chinese Police Liaison Teams have also been deployed to Solomon Islands since 2022, providing training programs for the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force to strengthen capacity building to maintain peace and security.
A number of Chinese and Solomon Islands Provinces have established sister relations and furthermore, hundreds of Solomon Islands students and officials have travelled to China for training. Solomon Islands Provinces that have established sister relations with Chinese provinces are Guadalcanal Province with Guangdong Province, Malaita Province with Jiangsu Province, Isabel Province with Shandong Province, and Western Province with Fujian Province.
China and Solomon Islands have also signed Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) for cooperation covering the areas of education, trade, economic development, aviation, media, aquaculture and infrastructure development.
All of these developments are a demonstration of the flourishing bilateral relations between Solomon Islands and China.
By DELI-SHARON OSO
In Xiamen City, China
Photo caption: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will chair the 3rd China-PICs Meeting. (Photo/VCG)
