Wang Yi Meets with Secretary General of Pacific Islands Forum Henry Puna

On May 29, 2022 local time, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Henry Puna in Suva.

Wang Yi appreciated Puna's efforts to promote friendly exchange and cooperation between the PIF and China since he took office as the Secretary General, saying that the PIF is the most representative intergovernmental organization in the South Pacific region, and China has always attached great importance to the important role of the PIF in regional affairs and has sent representatives to attend the PIF for more than 30 consecutive years. China has also established the China-PIF Cooperation Fund and facilitated the PIF Secretariat commissioners in China. We are ready to continue to enhance dialogue with the Secretariat, strengthen mutual trust, carry out cooperation, and do our utmost to support the development of the PIF and work together to devote ourselves to consolidating and developing relations between developing countries and Pacific Island Countries (PICs).

Wang Yi said that China supports PICs in promoting the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent and is ready to explore cooperation in marine ecological protection, e-commerce and others to create new growth areas. China's economy is fully dynamic and a single pandemic cannot stop China's development pace. China will staunchly promote a wider, deeper and higher level of opening up, and is willing to share development dividends with PICs, and welcomes more quality products from PICs to enter the Chinese market.

Wang Yi stressed that this trip to the South Pacific region aims to enhance mutually beneficial cooperation and friendly exchanges with PICs. It is a journey of peace, friendship and cooperation. China will continue to uphold the principles of mutual respect, equal treatment, win-win cooperation, openness and inclusiveness to deepen relations with PICs. China does not come to the South Pacific region only today; China has established diplomatic relations with PICs for nearly half a century. A few days ago, China released the "Fact Sheet: Cooperation Between China and Pacific Island Countries". This thick list shows that China's cooperation with PICs has covered various fields and brought tangible benefits to the people of PICs. China is willing to carry out more trilateral cooperation with other countries, especially those with traditional influence in the region, to reinforce complementarity and pool efforts to help PICs enhance their capacity for independent development and accelerate the realization of development and revitalization.

Puna said that China is an important dialogue and development partner of PICs and has long made indispensable contributions to the development of PICs. He looks forward to strengthening the synergy of development strategies with China, expanding cooperation in various fields such as economy and trade, education, blue economy and others, and making full use of China's development opportunities, especially the advantage of the digital economy, to achieve sustainable and diversified development.

The two sides exchanged views on the issue of climate change. Wang Yi said, China has actively participated in and promoted the conclusion of the Paris Agreement, formulated and implemented a series of policy measures to implement green and low-carbon development, and will firmly fulfill its commitment to climate change response with concrete actions. At the same time, we stand ready to work with PICs and developing countries to urge developed countries to earnestly assume their historical responsibilities, fulfill their commitments to developing countries, and try their utmost to achieve carbon neutrality ahead of schedule, so as to make their due contributions to tackling climate change. China will continue to respond to the needs of small island countries through the framework of the South-South Cooperation and provide assistance within its capacity.

Puna agreed with that, speaking highly of China's great efforts to address climate change, appreciating the establishment of the China-Pacific Island Countries Climate Action Cooperation Center in China, and expressing his willingness to jointly promote the Paris Agreement into action.