A visiting delegation from Guangdong Province, China, paid a courtesy call to the Minister of the Ministry of Provincial Government and Institutional Strengthening (MPGIS), Hon. Wayne Ghemu, on Thursday, November 14th 2024.
This was part of their ongoing engagement with provinces in Solomon Islands.
The delegation, led by Mr. Wang Xuecheng, Vice Chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Guangdong Committee, briefed the Minister about the purpose of their visit. Guandong has a sister relationship with Guadalcanal Province.
Through an interpreter, Mr. Wang explained that the main objective of their visit was to build on the success of the Prime Minister Hon. Jeremiah Manele’s visit to China earlier this year. Under the strategic guidance and mutual agreement of the leaders of both countries, the visit aimed to strengthen the trust and cooperation between China and the Solomon Islands.
“Our goal is to further enhance cooperation in areas such as economy, culture, education, tourism, health, and more,” Mr. Wang emphasized.
He noted that Guangdong Province shares several socio-geographical similarities with Solomon Islands, making it an ideal partner for future collaboration with Guadalcanal Province. As China’s leading province in terms of economy, technology, and population, Guangdong has significant expertise to offer.
“Guangdong Province is located in a tropical region with a coastline spanning over 4,200 kilometres, which makes it similar to Solomon Islands geographically and climatically. Over the years, Guangdong has gained considerable experience in tropical crop plantations and the fisheries industry. Given the Solomon Islands’ rich marine resources, we believe there is great potential to deepen cooperation, share our expertise, and help develop both tropical agriculture and fisheries in your country,” Mr. Wang said.
He also extended an invitation to Hon. Ghemu to visit Guangdong Province in the future.
Meanwhile, Hon. Ghemu, on behalf of the Government of the Solomon Islands, warmly welcomed the delegation to the country.
Hon. Ghemu took the opportunity to congratulate the Chinese government on the 11th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), noting that the program continues to foster cooperation in addressing shared challenges and development goals.
“I appreciate China’s global efforts, particularly through its Global Development Initiative (GDI), Global Security Initiative (GSI), and Global Civilization Initiative (GCI). These initiatives are grounded in noble intentions, aiming to help countries in the Global South improve their development paths and create a better world,” Hon. Ghemu said.
Following their arrival in Honiara on Wednesday, October 13th, the delegation also met with the Guadalcanal Provincial Government.
This is particularly significant as Guadalcanal Province has maintained a long-standing sister relationship with Guangdong Province, which was negotiated in 1983 and signed in 1984.
On the 15th of May 2023, this sister relationship was renewed by the former premier of Guadalcanal Province Francis Sade.
