MALAITA Province’s cooperation with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is a vivid example of the robust supervening PRC-Solomon Islands bilaterial relations.
This was highlighted last week by the PRC Ambassador to Solomon Islands, Cai Weiming when handing over items donated by the Chinese Embassy to the Member of Parliament (MP) for North Malaita, Daniel Waneoroa for two communities in Ward 9 in North Malaita Constituency.
The two recipient communities are Sulagwalu and Musukui.
The donated items included two sewing machines, 20 portable power sources, 20 radios, 100 solar lights, 120 T-shirts, 100 short pants, 3 boxes of fishing nets and some footballs, volleyballs and rugby balls.
“Ladies and gentlemen, our cooperation with Malaita is a vivid example of the strong China-Solomon Islands relationship,” Ambassador Cai said.
Ambassador Cai said Malaita Province is the most populous province of Solomon Islands and China has a strong commitment to help improve the livelihood of communities there.
He took the opportunity to highlight the progress of what China is doing in Malaita and in Solomon Islands that positively impact the province– the Auki Road Tar-Sealing Project, China’s Zero tariff to Solomon Islands, Chinese Medical Team visits, China’s Scholarship Program for Solomon Islands and the Jiangsu Province-Malaita Province Sister Relations.
On the Auki Road Tar-Sealing Project, Ambassador Cai said the Chinese designing team has arrived in the country and this will further enhance the basis for an early construction of this project.
On China’s zero tariff to Solomon Islands, he said more and more Malaita products will be introduced and exported to China under this arrangement and this will bring more benefits and earnings to communities in Malaita.
On the Chinese Medical Team in Solomon Islands, he said the past and present Chinese Medical Teams have visited Malaita Province thrice and have treated more than 1,000 patients.
On China’s scholarship program for Solomon Islands, the PRC envoy said among the 160 Solomon Islands students who gained Chinese Government scholarships to study in China, half are from Malaita Province.
On the Jiangsu-Malaita Sister Relations, Ambassador Cai said within the past half year after the signing of the MoU, Jiangsu Province donated livelihood material worth more than SBD1million to Malaita Province and these included tractors, solar street lights, water tanks, pumps, computers and printers.
The ambassador said this cooperation has injected more momentum for Malaita Province’s development.
In turn, the MP Waneoroa thanked the Chinese Embassy for the gifts and said China is the first of the country’s bilateral partners to specifically donate goodwill gifts to the people of North Malaita.
He expressed gratitude for this kind gesture and assured Ambassador Cai his constituency’s unwavering support for the PRC-Solomon Islands cooperation.
MP Waneoroa said with the China-Solomon Islands bilaterial relations, his position is clear and that is he wants tangible developments for his constituency and pointed to China as the solution.
“I support China for a genuine cause and that is tangible development for my people and with the help that China continues to provide, it will shift the mindset of my people to also support China because my people really want tangible development to improve their livelihood,” the North Malaita MP boldly stated.
A community rep from Sulugwalu village, Ironi Baemana said, the sporting equipment will go towards the end of year annual sports tournaments and thanked the Chinese Embassy for their continuous support to Solomon Islands.
He also stated that he wants the people of North Malaita to have a positive mindset towards China because China is here to help transform Solomon Islands into a developed country.
By IAN LADDS OSO
Solomon Star, Honiara
