On May 26, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi began his official visit to Solomon Islands, debuting his official tour to eight South Pacific Island countries within ten days.
China and South Pacific Island countries are good friends and good partners pursuing common development on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit. The exchange and cooperation between China and PICs are carried out in line with the principles of sincerity, real results, affinity and good faith, and on the basis of equal-footed consultation. It follows the principle of mutual benefits and pursues common development. With tangible outcomes, it has won wide support from the people of PICs.
The exchange and cooperation between China and PICs have been continuously deepened and expanded, effectively helping the island country achieve sustainable development. The cooperation covers more than 20 areas including trade, investment, ocean affairs, environmental protection, disaster prevention and mitigation, poverty alleviation, health care, education, tourism, culture, sports and at the sub-national level. China has signed Belt and Road cooperation MOUs with all the 10 PICs having diplomatic relations with China, and has become an important trade partner and source of investment. From 1992 to 2021, the total trade volume between China and PICs having diplomatic relations with China grew at an average annual rate of 13%, expanding by over 30 times in 30 years.
The exchange and cooperation between China and PICs have long focused on the field of people’s livelihood, effectively benefiting the ordinary people of PICs. China has implemented more than 100 aid projects, delivered more than 200 batches of in-kind assistance, and trained about 10,000 talents in various fields. China and PICs have forged 22 pairs of sister provinces/states and cities. China has dispatched 600 medical workers to PICs, benefiting more than 260,000 local residents. Since the start of COVID-19, China has provided PICs with nearly 600,000 doses of vaccines and more than 100 tons of anti-pandemic supplies. The all-round cooperation between China and PICs has benefited all the people of PICs and brought a real sense of achievement and happiness to the people. No one knows this better than the people of PICs.
This visit by State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi to the South Pacific aims to deepen the friendly and cooperative relationship between China and relevant countries, and contributes to peace, stability and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific. China is ready to work with the PICs in taking this visit as an opportunity to further strengthen high-level exchange, consolidate political mutual trust, expand practical cooperation, and deepen people-to-people bond so as to build an even closer community with a shared future for China and Pacific Island countries.
China has never interfered in the internal affairs of island countries, nor sought so-called "sphere of influence" in the region. The aid and assistance from China have never left any island country mired in debt or security threat. China believes that the South Pacific has never been and should not be the battlefield for geopolitical maneuvering. Instead, it is a platform for all countries to cooperate, promoting worldwide sustainable development with the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in particular. China always respects the historical and traditional ties between Australia and the Pacific island countries. China and Australia have their own unique strengths and advantages, which are complementary forces to help the South Pacific island countries achieve faster and better development. China and Australia should join hands with close cooperation to achieve that goal with the unique contributions from each of us. This is not only the common aspiration and hope of the governments and peoples of the Pacific island countries, but should also be the lofty strategic goal and ambition of the great nations of China and Australia. There is enough space in the vast Pacific Ocean for China, Australia and all island countries to share peace, development and prosperity.