MALAITA Province has strengthened and deepened its sister-province relationship with Jiangsu Province of China following the signing of a formal agreement last week in China.
The agreement was sealed by Malaita Premier Elijah Asilaua and Jiangsu Provincial Government representative Xu Kunlin during a meeting in Nanjing on June 19.
The formalization of this relationship symbolizes a growing partnership and collaboration between the two provinces.
According to a post by the Chinese Embassy in Solomon Islands on Facebook, Mr. Xu highlighted the increasing exchanges between Jiangsu and the Solomon Islands in recent years—especially in the areas of agriculture, infrastructure, and education.
He stated that the establishment of the sister-province relationship marks a new starting point for strengthened cooperation with Malaita Province, particularly in agricultural technology exchanges and talent development.
Premier Asilaua expressed his hope to further deepen collaboration with Jiangsu in trade, agriculture, education, and other key sectors, aiming to build a lasting and productive friendship.
This growing relationship has already delivered tangible benefits.
In October last year, Malaita Province received crucial agricultural equipment from Huai’an City in Jiangsu.
The donation, made to both the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL) and the Malaita Provincial Government, included rice transplanters, rotary tillers, tractors, digital greenhouse equipment, rice milling machines, water and sewage pumps, agricultural sprayers, computers, and digital monitoring tools.
These assets are expected to boost MAL’s operational capacity and support the development of agricultural infrastructure in Malaita.
Earlier, in April 2024, Jiangsu also provided additional support to Malaita, including water tanks, fishing nets, brush knives, trash cans, and solar lights.
These were officially handed over by H.E. Ambassador Cai Weiming during his inaugural visit to the province.
The continued collaboration between Malaita and Jiangsu signals a promising future of mutual support, knowledge-sharing, and development.
By SOLOMON LOFANA
Solomon Star, Auki
