Kiribati President and Foreign Minister Taneti Maamau Meets with Wang Yi

On May 27, 2022 local time, Kiribati President and Foreign Minister Taneti Maamau met with State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the President's official residence in Tarawa, joined by several Kiribati cabinet ministers.

Maamau asked Wang Yi to convey his sincere greetings and best wishes to President Xi Jinping and congratulations to the Communist Party of China on its great achievements since its founding, saying that China's success is a great inspiration for developing countries. The Chinese delegation's visit brings mutual trust, friendship and cooperation, marking a milestone for Kiribati-China relations. Since the resumption of Kiribati-China diplomatic relations, the two countries have achieved remarkable results in practical cooperation. The livelihood of Kiribati people has really been improved, which is a vivid testament to China's sincerity, friendship and commitment to its words. Kiribati staunchly pursues the one-China principle and firmly supports the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. The resumption of Kiribati-China diplomatic relations showcases that the world stands on the side of China and Kiribati stands on the right side of history.

Maamau thanked China for its support and assistance to Kiribati in pandemic response, economic development and infrastructure construction. He said that Kiribati unswervingly devotes itself to elevating bilateral relations to a higher level and bringing more benefits to its people.

Wang Yi conveyed President Xi Jinping's cordial greetings, and said that President Maamau, who made a special effort to receive us in his own home, regards China as a sincere friend. In fact, we have been friends since the day when Kiribati president and its people made the decision to resume Kiribati-China diplomatic relations. China is not only a friend of Kiribati, but also the most reliable friend of all developing countries. We will continue to speak up for developing countries in the international and multilateral arenas and continue to firmly defend the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries, especially small and medium-sized countries.

Wang Yi said, over the past two years since the resumption of China-Kiribati diplomatic relations, bilateral ties have developed rapidly and cooperation in various fields has moved forward, bringing tangible benefits to the people of Kiribati. The mutual trust and support between the two countries have become a model of equal treatment between large and small countries. Facts have fully proved that the political decision made by Kiribati to resume diplomatic relations with China is entirely in line with the fundamental interests of its people.

Wang Yi stressed that the world is not in peace, confronted with the rampant pandemic, frequent wars and commonly found poverty and backwardness. However, the United States and its accomplices still insist on focusing their energies on deliberately blocking China's development. In essence, they do not want to see non-Western forces succeed in the world and developing countries strengthen their solidarity and cooperation. But the tide of the times is inexorable. The development and revitalization of China and other developing countries are a historical necessity and our legitimate right, which no one and no force can block. From this perspective, to firmly support China in safeguarding its core interests is to support developing countries themselves, and likewise, to help developing countries is to help China itself. China is willing to do its utmost and work with developing countries to accelerate the realization of common development and join hands to eliminate historical injustice.

The two sides agreed to continue to strengthen cooperation in the fight against the pandemic. The first batch of China's medical aid team arrived in Kiribati with the Chinese delegation this time, which will help Kiribati combat the pandemic and provide medical services to Kiribati people.

The two sides agreed to deepen the Belt and Road cooperation and strengthen the synergy with the "Kiribati 20-year Vision (KV20) development blueprint" so as to expand cooperation in various fields and focus on improving people's livelihood. The two sides agreed to give full play to the advantages of Kiribati's resource endowment and to bring a new highlight of bilateral marine cooperation on the premise of protecting the ecology.

The two sides agreed to carry out cooperation in tackling climate change. Both countries agreed that developed countries should earnestly assume their historical responsibilities, fulfill their commitments on climate change financing to developing countries, and help developing countries enhance their capacity building. Wang Yi stressed that China is determined to take a green and low-carbon path. At the same time, China will help small island countries to cope with the challenges of climate change through South-South cooperation.

After the meeting, the two sides attended the signing ceremony of cooperation documents on the Belt and Road cooperation, disaster prevention and mitigation, infrastructure, tourism, people's livelihood, and others.

On the same day, Wang Yi met with Kiribati Vice President Teuea Toatu.