Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands Jeremiah Manele in Beijing.

Xi meets PMs of Solomon Islands, Vanuatu; visits deepen bilateral ties

(Global Times) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands Jeremiah Manele and Prime Minister of the Republic of Vanuatu Charlot Salwai in Beijing on Friday.
During the meeting with Manele, Xi said that China is ready to enhance strategic communication with the Solomon Islands to firmly support each other in safeguarding core interests and addressing major concerns, enhance the synergy between the Belt and Road cooperation and the development strategy of the Solomon Islands.
China’s friendly cooperation with the Solomon Islands and other Pacific Island countries is a sincere effort to assist these island nations in achieving development, falls within the framework of South-South cooperation, and is part of the common development of the Global South, without targeting any third party or seeking any selfish gain, he said.
When meeting with Salwai, Xi said China will continue to provide economic and technical assistance to Vanuatu without attaching any political conditions, to help it achieve development and prosperity. Xi emphasised that China is committed to equality among all countries, big or small, and adheres to the principle of combining justice with interests while prioritising justice. China does not seek major-power competition or geopolitical spheres of influence. It does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries or force them to take sides.
The visits of the two leaders from the Pacific Island countries (PICs) not only deepened the relations between China and the two PICs, but also paved the way for enhanced cooperation that will benefit both sides in various aspects, as well as contributing to regional peace and stability. Unlike some Western countries, China’s cooperation with the PICs is based on mutual benefit and win-win outcomes, without targeting any third party or attaching any political conditions, analysts said.
The visits of the leaders of the two PICs demonstrate that China’s cooperation with them will be more comprehensive, with the goal of enhanced exchanges to promote mutual development and regional stability and prosperity, Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Friday.
“China has been fostering strong and mutually beneficial cooperation relations with the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, and China’s assistance to the area, including infrastructure, has made a significant contribution to promoting the economic development of these nations,” said Yu Lei, a professor at the Department of International Politics and Economics at Shandong University.
Yu noted that in the wake of the pandemic, the PICs are tasked with expediting economic recovery and growth, while also addressing local employment needs and fostering a conducive environment for economic progress by enhancing local infrastructure development, Yu told the Global Times on Friday. 
China is a very important provider of infrastructure and public goods in the Pacific Island region, which has been recognised and praised by the PICs, as they hope to promote the development of local infrastructure through mutually beneficial cooperation with China, Yu said.

(Latest Update July 15, 2024)