Chinese premier holds talks with prime minister of Solomon Islands

Chinese Premier Li Qiang holds a welcoming ceremony for visiting Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands Manasseh Sogavare in the Northern Hall of the Great Hall of the People prior to their talks in Beijing, capital of China, July 10, 2023. [Xinhua/Yue Yuewei]

BEIJING -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang held talks with visiting Prime Minister of Solomon Islands Manasseh Sogavare on Monday in Beijing.

Li said that since the establishment of diplomatic ties nearly four years ago, relations between China and Solomon Islands have developed rapidly and yielded fruitful results, and the two countries have decided to establish a comprehensive strategic partnership featuring mutual respect and common development in the new era.

Standing at a new, historic starting point, China is ready to deepen political mutual trust with Solomon Islands, he said. China is ready to continue working with Solomon Islands to firmly support each other's core interests and major concerns, expand dialogue and exchanges in various fields and at all levels, strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation, and upgrade bilateral relations, he added.

Li noted that China is willing to share development opportunities with Solomon Islands, synergize development strategies further, and expand cooperation on trade and investment, infrastructure construction, agriculture, tourism, forestry and fisheries, information and communication, and energy and mineral resources. China is willing to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with Solomon Islands in the fields of culture, education, health and local affairs, he said.

He stressed that China will continue to strengthen South-South cooperation with the Pacific Islands on climate change, and enhance their capacity for independent development and risk response. He said China is ready to work with Solomon Islands to uphold true multilateralism, and strengthen coordination and cooperation under the United Nations, the Pacific Islands Forum and other multilateral mechanisms.

Sogavare said that Solomon Islands attaches great importance to relations with China, appreciates China's active assistance for the economic and social development of Solomon Islands and other island countries in the Pacific, and supports the Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative proposed by China.

He said he greatly appreciates China's important roles in maintaining regional and world peace, promoting sustainable development and responding to global challenges. He said Solomon Islands abides by the one-China principle, is willing to learn from China's development experience, and will continue to deepen exchanges and cooperation with China on trade, investment, people-to-people exchanges and climate change, so as to achieve common development.

After the talks, the two leaders witnessed the signature of a number of bilateral cooperation documents on development cooperation, trade, civil aviation, customs and meteorology. 

Chinese Premier Li Qiang holds talks with visiting Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands Manasseh Sogavare at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, July 10, 2023. [Xinhua/Pang Xinglei]