An Exclusive Interview: Pacific Island Countries Are China's Important Partners

--An Exclusive Interview with Vice Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai

On August 7, 2010, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai, after attending the Post-Forum Dialogue Meeting of the Pacific Islands Forum in Port Vila, capital of Vanuatu, said the Pacific island countries are small in terms of geographical area, population, and economy, but they still occupy important positions in China's diplomatic strategy and are China's important partners.

He told Xinhua News Agency in an exclusive interview that China exercises full-fledged diplomacy and seeks to develop friendly relations with all countries in the world on the basis of peaceful coexistence. The Pacific island countries are located in relatively remote region, but they are also members of the international community, which all enjoy equal international status. Therefore China attaches great importance to the region of Pacific island countries and strives to develop friendly relations with them.

Speaking of the outcome of the 41st Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting, which just concluded in Port Vila, Cui said the leaders at the meeting were primarily concerned of the challenges of climate change to island countries, how to mitigate and adapt themselves to adverse impacts of climate change, and the impact of the current international financial crisis on them. The island economies are vulnerable and the financial crisis will definitely impact their economic development. With the development of economic globalization, island countries are paying more attention to economic development. At the meeting, the leaders focused theirs discussions on the Millennium Development Goals proposed by the United Nations in 2000, which, they hoped, could be further promoted and implemented. Looking at the joint communiqué issued after the meeting, Cui said that the leaders reached a lot of consensus on climate change and regional cooperation.

Talking about how to strengthen China's relations with Pacific island countries, Cui mentioned the following points. First, China is willing to strengthen exchanges at all levels with island countries. The leaders of many island countries attended the Shanghai World Expo this year. It presents an excellent opportunity for both sides to strengthen cooperation and for island countries to showcase themselves on the Expo platform.

Second, deepening economic and trade cooperation. Although the impact of the international financial crisis has not dispersed and China and island countries are facing different challenges, China and island countries still made good progress in economic and trade cooperation in 2009 with bilateral trade volume exceeding 2.6 billion U.S. dollars or experiencing a year-on-year growth of 51.5%.

Third, China will continue to provide island countries with economic and technological assistance and cooperation in various fields and help them achieve sustainable development and improve people's livelihood.

Fourth, strengthening and expanding bilateral people-to-people and cultural exchanges. For example, China will continue to support island countries to run exhibitions at the World Expo for it is the first time for many island islands to take part in the World Expo. Moreover, China will continue to strengthen exchanges with island countries in such fields as art performances and tourism.

Fifth, China will continue to strengthen cooperation with regional organizations of island countries. At the dialogue meeting, China announced the donations to the relevant regional organizations and specific support measures. The support is consistent with the growth trend of relations between China and island countries over the years.

Cui said although there are differences in national conditions and there is certain geographical distance, China and Pacific island countries both face a common task of economic development. China and the island countries are developing countries facing similar challenges in the international arena. Therefore China and the island countries have much in common, which is the foundation for the two sides to develop friendly relations and cooperate with each other.

Cui said the relations between China and Pacific island countries are featured by friendly cooperation and mutual trust. The two sides treat each other equally and help each other. He believed that with the high attention and vigorous promotion from the leaders, the friendly relations between China and the island countries will see further growth.

After the 41st Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting concluded in Port Vila on the fifth of August, a post-forum dialogue meeting was held among the 15 members of the Pacific Island Forum, 14 dialogue partners of the Forum including China, the United States and Japan, and international organizations such as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank on the 6th of August. At the post-forum dialogue meeting, the participants mainly discussed issues like global challenges facing the region, aids and sustainable development.