China, Tonga pledge to deepen ties

China and Tonga reaffirmed on Tuesday their long-standing friendship and unveiled a broad agenda to expand cooperation across multiple fields.

The pledge was made by President Xi Jinping and the visiting King Tupou VI of the Kingdom of Tonga during their meeting in Beijing. The king is currently on a weeklong trip to China, his first state visit to the country in seven years.

During the talks, Xi emphasized that China and Tonga are true friends who have stood together through challenges, and the two countries have maintained mutual respect and treated each other as equals since establishing diplomatic ties in 1998.

The two sides have firmly supported each other on issues concerning their core interests and major concerns, he said, adding that pragmatic cooperation has yielded fruitful results and their comprehensive strategic partnership has continued to deepen — setting an example of friendly cooperation between countries of different sizes and social systems.

Regardless of shifts in the international landscape, China will remain a reliable partner of Tonga and continue to support Tonga in safeguarding its national independence and sovereignty, Xi said.

He said China is willing to align development strategies with Tonga and expand cooperation in trade and investment, agriculture and fisheries, infrastructure, clean energy, public health, tourism and climate change response.

Exchanges in education, sports, youth, media and subnational partnerships will also be strengthened, Xi said. He reaffirmed China's support for Tonga's socioeconomic development under the South-South cooperation framework.

He welcomed people from all sectors in Tonga to visit China and deepen exchanges on governance and development to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the world's second-largest economy.

China stands ready to work with Tonga to implement the four major global initiatives, deliver a better life for their peoples, build a China-Pacific Island Countries community with a shared future, and contribute to the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, Xi said.

King Tupou VI expressed appreciation for China's long-standing, selfless assistance to Tonga's economic and social development.

Tonga highly values its relations with China, firmly upholds the one-China principle, resolutely opposes any form of "Taiwan independence", and steadfastly supports the Chinese government in realizing national reunification, he added.

He voiced support for the four global initiatives put forward by President Xi and expressed willingness to strengthen communication and cooperation with China to address shared global challenges.

Following the meeting, Xi and King Tupou VI jointly witnessed the signing of multiple cooperation agreements covering trade, healthcare, education and development. During the visit, a joint statement was also released.

Statistics showed that bilateral trade reached $69.9 million in 2024, up 21.4 percent from the previous year. People-to-people ties have also deepened, with China having trained nearly 1,700 Tongan personnel and over 400 students currently studying in the country.

King Tupou VI chose Fujian province as his first stop in China and then continued his field trip to Shaanxi province to observe China's development firsthand before traveling to the Chinese capital.

Chen Hong, director of the Asia Pacific Studies Center at East China Normal University, said King Tupou VI's visit is aimed at learning from China's experience to shape Tonga's own development path — a reflection of the maturity and diversification of South-South cooperation.

The partnership is gradually shifting from a project-driven model toward a high-quality, capability-driven approach focused on joint, mutually beneficial development, aligned with Tonga's national priorities, he said, adding that both sides have significant potential for cooperation in areas such as the blue economy and green transition.

He said that such engagement will strengthen local development potential and resilience while laying a foundation for sustainable regional stability.

By respecting sovereignty, development choices and local systems without attaching political conditions, China's approach more closely aligns with Pacific Island nations' expectations than traditional Western aid, he added.

zhaojia@chinadaily.com.cn