High level delegation from China arrives tomorrow
SOLOMON ISLANDS will this week welcome the first and historic visit by China’s State Councillor and Foreign Minister His Excellency Wang Hi, who is due to arrive in Honiara tomorrow.
It is Mr. Wang’s first visit since Solomon Islands and China established diplomatic relations in September 2019. He will lead a delegation of Vice Ministerial officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Commerce and China International Development Cooperation Agency.
Foreign Minister Wang is armed with 10 points of bilateral outcomes that both countries have achieved in the two and a half years of bilateral relations.
These are:
- Agreement Between the Government of the People’s Republic of China and the Government of Solomon Islands on the Visa Exemption for Holders of Diplomatic, Official/Service and Public Affairs Passports
- Agreement Between the Government of the People’s Republic of China and the Government of Solomon Islands Relation to Civil Air Transport
- Memorandum of Understanding on Health Cooperation Between the National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China and the Ministry of Health and Medical Services of Solomon Islands
- Memorandum of Understanding Between Deepening Blue Economy Cooperation Between the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China and the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, Labour and Immigration of Solomon Islands
- Memorandum of Understanding Between the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology of the Solomon Islands and the Ministry of Emergency Management of the People’s Republic of China on Cooperation in the Area of Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency Response
- Exchange of Letters between the Government of the People’s Republic of China and the Government of Solomon Islands that covers 98 percent of the Tariff Line
- Handover Certificate between the Government of the People’s Republic of China and the Government of Solomon Islands on Anti-COVID Materials Donation
- Exchange of Letters between the Government of the People’s Republic of China and the Government of Solomon Islands on China aid- National Referral Hospital Comprehensive Medical Center Project
- Agreement on the Establishment of Sister City Relationship Between Jiangmen City, Guangdong province, the People’s Republic of China and Honiara city, Solomon Islands
- Agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation between the Government of the People’s Republic of China and the government of Solomon Islands
While in Honiara, Foreign Minister Wang will meet the Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare on Friday 27th May. He will also make a courtesy call on the Governor General before heading off to Kiribati, the other Pacific Island country, which established diplomatic relations with China shortly after Solomon Islands’ move.
A joint news conference will cap off the Solomon Islands’ visit with Foreign Minister Wang and his Solomon Islands counterpart, Jeremiah Manele, expected to field questions from local and foreign journalists.
A spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Honiara said Foreign Minister Wang is looking forward to the visit because his planned visit in 2020 had to be cancelled due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.
By Alfred Sasako
