SOLOMON Islands and China are now looking into establishing a comprehensive strategic partnership on mutual respect and common development following the fruitful results yielded since the two countries established diplomatic ties some four years.
Speaking during a meeting with Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare on Monday in Beijing, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said standing at a new historic starting point, China is ready to deepen political mutual trust with Solomon Islands.
“China is ready to continue working with Solomon Islands to firmly support each other’s core interests and major concerns, expand dialogue and exchanges in various fields and at all levels, strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation, and upgrade bilateral relations,” Mr Li said.
He said China is willing to share development opportunities with Solomon Islands, synergize development strategies further, and expand cooperation on trade and investment, infrastructure construction, agriculture, tourism, forestry and fisheries, information and communication, and energy and mineral resources.
“China is willing to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with Solomon Islands in the fields of culture, education, health and local affairs,” he said.
Premier Li added that China will continue to strengthen South-South cooperation with the Pacific Islands on climate change, and enhance their capacity for independent development and risk response.
He said China is ready to work with Solomon Islands to uphold true multilateralism, and strengthen coordination and cooperation under the United Nations, the Pacific Islands Forum and other multilateral mechanisms.
Mr Sogavare said Solomon Islands attaches great importance to relations with China, appreciates China’s active assistance for the economic and social development of Solomon Islands and other island countries in the Pacific, and supports the Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative proposed by China.
He said he greatly appreciates China’s important roles in maintaining regional and world peace, promoting sustainable development and responding to global challenges.
He said Solomon Islands abides by the one-China principle, is willing to learn from China’s development experience, and will continue to deepen exchanges and cooperation with China on trade, investment, people-to-people exchanges and climate change, so as to achieve common development.
After the talks, the two leaders witnessed the signature of a number of bilateral cooperation documents on development cooperation, trade, civil aviation, customs and meteorology.
