Nauruan President David Adeang, who recently embarked on a journey to trace his roots in China, has expressed hope that his family will stay connected and maintain close ties with their rediscovered ancestral relatives.
Earlier this month, Adeang arrived in Jiangmen City in south China's Guangdong Province for a four-day visit, accompanied by his family, to explore their ancestral heritage.
After verification by relevant authorities, it was confirmed that Adeang's great-grandfather's ancestral home is located in the ancient Chikan town of Jiangmen.
Over a century ago, Adeang's ancestors left China for Southeast Asia in search of better opportunities, before eventually settling in Nauru.
"The world is not so big anymore. To think that before today we didn't know each other at all, but now we are going to be communicating by WeChat to keep the families connected. And my daughter who will be schooling at Beijing in a couple of months, she will be responsible for staying connected and bringing the two families closer together," Adeang said in an interview with China Media Group (CMG).
Adeang's great-grandfather belonged to a large family with the surname Situ. To commemorate this meaningful reunion, Adeang posed for a group photo with members of the Situ family.
Adeang also met an elderly woman whom he and his family affectionately called "granny".
"It's good to know her. And I hope that they will welcome us back again and again, because we really want to be close to our family on this side of the world," said the president.
Nauruan president hopes to stay connected with his ancestral relatives in China
