Solomon Islands and China celebrate 5th anniversary of diplomatic relations

Solomon Islands and China celebrate 5^th anniversary of diplomatic relations

 

Solomon Islands and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) successfully celebrated the 5^th Anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations which also coincided with the 75^th Anniversary of the Founding of the People’s Republic of China on Friday 27 September.

The ceremony was attended by the supervising Prime Minister Hon. Manasseh Sogavare alongside Chinese Ambassador HE Cai Weiming, Ministers, Members of Parliament, senior government officials, members of the diplomatic corps, representatives of the Chinese communities and Chinese companies, students, and the media among nearly 400 people attended the event.

Over the past 5 years, under the strategic guidance of leaders of the two countries and based on the one-China principle, the China-SI relations have grown from strength to strength, staying at the forefront of China’s relations with Pacific Island countries, and becoming a model of mutual support and common development among countries of different sizes.

China has become the largest trading partner and export destination of Solomon Islands. Besides Trade, China has poured rapid transformative developments into Solomon Islands over the last five years and continues to pledge its support for further development initiatives.

The China-aided National Stadium and SINU dormitories have now become the landmarks of Honiara city.

The Auki road tar-sealing project and National Broadband Infrastructure Project are also making steady progress. The Chinese medical team has treated nearly 25,000 SI patients, and the China Police Liaison Team (CPLT) officers provided training programs for RSIPF all across the Solomon Islands. Four cities or provinces from both sides have or intend to forge sister relations.

During the last five years, hundreds of students and officials with expertise have traveled to China for further studies or training programs, demonstrating flourishing people-to-people exchanges.

In July this year, Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele made a successful official visit to China. Both sides reached a consensus on building a community with a shared future for China and the Solomon Islands, mutually supporting each other and helping each other succeed on their path to modernization.

“We will work together to make more achievements through the China – Solomon Islands comprehensive strategic partnership featuring mutual respect and common development for a new era,” said Chinese Ambassador, HE Cai Weiming on Friday.

He added that China will enhance mutual trust by providing strategic support for each other’s modernization following the strategic guidance of each other’s national leaders to steadfastly support each other’s core interests.

“We will strengthen exchanges of governance experience, to help Solomon Islands elevate confidence and capability for independent development, chart out a modernization path that suits its conditions, and achieve its economic transformation”.

“We will strengthen pragmatic cooperation, to cement the economic foundation for each other’s modernization. We will enhance the synergy of the Belt and Road Initiative and GNUT’s policy statements, and speed up the construction of the NRH comprehensive medical center and Auki road tar-sealing projects,” Ambassador Weiming said.

Recently, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced that China will offer zero-tariff treatment for LDCs including Solomon Islands that have diplomatic relations with China.

“We will take this opportunity to absorb more SI agricultural and fisheries products into China’s market. All these measures will deepen our cooperation, boost our development, and inject strong momentum for our modernization,” Ambassador Weiming added.

Weiming further pledged China’s readiness to promote people-to-people exchanges, and to consolidate the popular basis for the two countries’ cooperation by deepening bilateral cooperation in education, culture, arts, tourism, sports, and other areas to forge a closer bond of friendship between the two countries.

“We will continue to facilitate provincial and municipal cooperation between our two countries and support more students and professionals to study or take training programs in China. The CPLT will continue to provide capacity-building training programs for RSIPF officials, and the Chinese medical team will continue to provide treatment for local people,” Weiming said.

China is ready to work with the Solomon Islands to deepen friendship and cooperation motivated by its pursuit of modernization, to continue to lead China’s relations with Pacific countries, and to contribute to the modernization of developing countries and the Global South.

The celebration was graced by performances from artists from Jiangmen City and singers from the Solomon Islands.

 

 

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