INTERNATIONAL: Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare of the Solomon Islands and visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday expressed willingness to strengthen ties and deepen cooperation between the two countries.
Sogavare thanked China for providing strong support and great help to the development of the Solomon Islands. He said the island country firmly supports China in safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity, firmly adheres to the one-China principle and always stands shoulder to shoulder with China and on the right side of history.
Sogavare said China has become the biggest cooperative partner of the Solomon Islands on basic infrastructure and a reliable development partner. He thanked China for providing anti-pandemic supplies, rapid-test equipment and sending medical teams to his country.
He also appreciated the Chinese side for sending policing supplies and police advisers to help maintain social order of the Solomon Islands after the riot in Honiara.
The Solomon Islands and China have conducted cooperation on the basis of equal treatment and mutual respect, and the connection in various fields has become increasingly close, bringing tangible benefits to the Solomon Islands people, the prime minister noted.
For his part, Wang said the Chinese side appreciates the Solomon Islands' firm determination to safeguard its own national interests, strong desire to develop China-Solomon Islands friendly cooperation and adherence to the one-China principle. China also staunchly backs the Solomon Islands' efforts to safeguard national sovereignty independence, protect national unity and solidarity, and speed up the realization of national prosperity on a path chosen by the country.
Wang said it's not long since the two countries established diplomatic relationship but the development of bilateral ties has been sound, steady and fast.
China and the Solomon Islands have become good friends of mutual trust and good partners supporting each other, with political mutual trust between the two countries ever deepening and pragmatic cooperation promising broad prospects, he noted.
Facts have proven that the political decision of the Solomon Islands to establish diplomatic relationship with China is in line with the development and progress of the times as well as the fundamental and long-term interests of the people of the Solomon Islands, Wang said.
China is ready to work with the Solomon Islands to forge "iron-clad" ties, and deepen cooperation between the two sides so as to benefit the two peoples, Wang said.
The emerging economies are rising en masse, and peace and development are still the irreversible trend of the times despite the unilateral bullying, Wang noted.
China is ready to enhance coordination and cooperation with the Solomon Islands in multilateral organizations such as the United Nations to uphold true multilateralism, accelerate the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, cope with climate change, and jointly safeguard the rightful interests of medium and small countries.
Sogavare also said the Solomon Islands is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with China on international issues.
After the meeting, Sogavare and Wang witnessed the signing of a series of cooperation documents on blue economy, tariff preferences, health and anti-epidemic efforts, civil aviation and disaster prevention and mitigation.
Wang also met with Acting Governor General John Patteson Oti and Foreign Minister Jeremiah Manele on Thursday.
Wang is visiting the Solomon Islands as part of his tour to the South Pacific island nations, which will also take him to Kiribati, Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea, as well as Timor-Leste.
