South Pacific region should be stage of int'l cooperation, not arena for geopolitical games: Chinese FM

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Thursday that the South Pacific region should be a stage of international cooperation, not an arena for geopolitical games, when meeting with Marc Ati, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and External Trade of Vanuatu, in Xiamen, east China's Fujian Province.

The two ministers met on the sidelines of the third China-Pacific Island Countries Foreign Ministers' Meeting.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said bilateral relations between China and Vanuatu are at their best in history, calling on the two sides to strengthen exchanges at all levels and expand practical cooperation.

He said China welcomes Vanuatu to expand export of high-quality products to China and will continue to encourage Chinese companies to invest and start businesses in Vanuatu.

Wang said China looks forward to the early launch of negotiations on a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA).

Vanuatu is welcome to attend the signing ceremony of the Convention on the Establishment of The International Organization for Mediation in Hong Kong on Friday, he said.

Wang stressed that Pacific island countries are all independent sovereign countries, not a "backyard" of anyone, adding that they have the right to independently choose their partners and development paths.

China firmly supports Vanuatu's independence and its efforts to defend its own sovereignty, security and development interests, Wang said.

For his part, Ati said China is an important development partner of Vanuatu, noting that China's support has not only helped Vanuatu improve the livelihoods of its people, but also enhanced its confidence and resilience in development, he said.

He said the Vanuatu government firmly adheres to the one-China policy and stands ready to further strengthen the alignment of development strategies with China.

Vanuatu is willing to work with China to accelerate efforts for FTA negotiations and promote cooperation in education, infrastructure, health, policing and other areas, so as to elevate the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership to a new height, Ati said.

South Pacific region should be stage of int'l cooperation, not arena for geopolitical games: Chinese FM

Yiwu, the eastern Chinese city known as "the world's supermarket," achieved a record foreign trade value of 173.56 billion yuan (25.2 billion U.S. dollars) in the first two months of 2026, a significant 52.8 percent increase over the same period of the previous year.

In the two-month period, the growth rates of both imports and exports of the city exceeded 50 percent.

In the January-February period, Yiwu's global trade partnerships expanded to include 222 other countries and regions, adding nine more compared to the same period of last year.

Africa became Yiwu's largest trade market during the period, with trade to the continent rising by 84.7 percent year on year, accounting for 20.4 percent of the city's total foreign trade value.

Among the major trading partners, Yiwu experienced the fastest import and export growth with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which surged by 99 percent year on year. Additionally, Yiwu's imports from and exports to Latin America and the EU grew by 34 percent and 64.6 percent year on year, respectively.

In the first two months of 2026, the city's trade with other countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative totaled 124.43 billion yuan (18 billion U.S. dollars), an increase of 59.5 percent year on year, accounting for over 70 percent of Yiwu's total foreign trade value for the same period.

China's Yiwu sees 52.8 percent year-on-year increase in trade in January-February