China has reiterated its commitment to deepening ties with Pacific Island countries (PICs) through shared development and mutual respect as representatives of political parties gathered in Beijing for the fourth Pacific Island Countries-China Political Leadership Dialogue on Thursday.
Addressing the dialogue, Liu Jianchao, head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, emphasized China's willingness to support Pacific Island countries in exploring modernization paths suited to their own conditions.
He said China is ready to expand cooperation with these countries in areas of climate change, agricultural infrastructure, culture and tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.
Liu stressed that China's cooperation with Pacific Island countries does not attach political conditions or make empty promises and has been conducted openly and transparently.
Representatives from different parties of these nations said that they are now standing at a crossroads, transiting from established practices to innovative solutions, from limited resources to sustainable development, and from isolation to global engagement.
They hoped that they would be treated fairly to get more global financing support for their development.
"I appeal to the countries of the world, who are the ingenious behind the global financial architecture to re-look at this and free up the system so that even small countries can benefit. One of the biggest challenges we face is the restriction that is being imposed upon us by the global financial architecture, which is heavily dominated by a certain group of people that does not allow us in the Global South to enjoy the transactions and especially the capital inflows to assist our development," said Johnny Koanapo, president of Vanuatu's Vanuaaku Party and the country's minister of finance.
They believe they can draw inspiration from the Chinese experience and adapt it to the specific context of their islands.
"We've been in the forefront in terms of advocating climate change, which the South Pacific countries and the Pacific countries are very vulnerable. We are helpful to China for giving us those solutions, especially natural solutions, green solutions, to help our blue Pacific oceans. But there are other areas that we look forward that through the various high technological development in China, that will help us, especially as we move towards a new world that we are now confronting other areas of peace and stability," said Mosese Bulitavu, a member of the parliament of Fiji.
China has emphasized that it sees both itself and Pacific Island countries as developing nations, united within the framework of the Global South.
In the face of emerging challenges, China has expressed its willingness to share new regional cooperation platforms with these countries, aiming to work together towards achieving modernization.
China, Pacific Island countries vow to deepen cooperation for modernization
