Initiatives unveiled for Pacific countries

China announced on Wednesday a list of initiatives for promoting its cooperation with Pacific Island countries in fields including climate change response, disaster prevention and mitigation, maritime trade and other priority areas.

The announcement came after Foreign Minister Wang Yi and high-level officials from 11 Pacific Island countries having diplomatic ties with China, as well as the representative of the Pacific Islands Forum, gathered in Xiamen, Fujian province, for the third China-Pacific Island countries foreign ministers' meeting.

"We aim to fulfill our commitments to our friends in Pacific Island countries through concrete actions," Wang said when he and Kiribati's President and Foreign Minister Taneti Maamau jointly met with the press after co-chairing the meeting.

It was the first time that the meeting was held in person in China since the mechanism was established in 2021. The previous ones were held via video link in 2021 and 2022.

On developing relations with Pacific Island countries, Wang said it is important to prioritize urgent issues such as climate change, economic development, the improvement of livelihoods and social stability.

To this end, China commits to investing new funds to expand its cooperation with Pacific Island countries on sustainable development, he said.

Over the next three years, China will implement 100 "small yet impactful" projects aimed at addressing climate change in these countries, Wang said, adding that China is willing to share early-warning technologies with them to help prevent and mitigate disasters.

"We deeply regret that a certain major country has withdrawn from the Paris Agreement. However, regardless of how the situation changes, China's resolve to support and participate in global climate governance will not waver, nor will our commitment to implementing South-South cooperation on climate change," he said.

According to Wang, China will also align its development strategies with Pacific Island countries, strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields and facilitate the access of more high-quality products from these countries to the huge Chinese market.

2025 is the 50th year since China began establishing diplomatic relations with Pacific Island countries. So far, China has established diplomatic ties with 11 Pacific Island countries after Nauru resumed its diplomatic relations with China in January 2024.

The two sides have continued to expand exchanges and cooperation in more than 20 areas. According to Chinese statistics, the total trade volume between China and Pacific Island countries that have diplomatic relations with China has expanded more than thirtyfold from 1992 to 2021.

Maamau, Kiribati's president, said that the joint statement released after the meeting "stands as a testament to the enduring strength and resilience of the relationship between China and the Pacific Island countries".

"Through unity, trust and respect, we will be successful and resilient in our journey to bring tangible outcomes to the people we serve, and ultimately to pursue our interests as sovereign and independent states," he said.

According to Wang, during the meeting, Pacific Island countries took the initiative to express their commitment to the one-China principle and their understanding of and support for China's just position of upholding sovereignty and territorial integrity.

As this year marks the 80th anniversaries of victory in World War II and Taiwan's return to China in 1945, such commitment shows that "Taiwan independence" rhetoric has no takers among Pacific Island countries, Wang said.

Papua New Guinea's Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko said that the meeting offered a good opportunity for Pacific Island countries to sit at one table with China to talk about bringing forward their relationship.