That's foolish, Solomon Islands Prime Minister: If we Pacific island countries don't increase cooperation with China, Embassy in China | Solomon Islands | Prime Minister
"This is a huge milestone!" Solomon Islands Prime Minister Sogavare described the significance of the opening of the Solomon Islands Embassy in China in an interview with Global Times reporters in Beijing on the 11th. He told reporters that China is a great country, and for Solomon Islands and other similar Pacific island countries, it would be foolish not to increase cooperation with China and seize the development opportunities it provides.
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On the afternoon of the 11th, the opening ceremony of the Solomon Islands Embassy in China was held in Beijing. Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Director of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Central Committee, and Menasi Sogavare, Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands, who is currently visiting China, jointly unveiled the plaque for the embassy. Sogavare made the above statement to Global Times reporters at the opening ceremony.
In 2019, the foreign ministers of the two countries held talks in Beijing and signed the Joint Communiqu é of the People's Republic of China and Solomon Islands on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations. More than half a month later, Prime Minister Sogavare of Solomon Islands paid his first state visit to China, during which Solomon Islands officially joined the initiative of jointly building the "the Belt and Road". Most analysts believe that after the establishment of diplomatic relations, the development of China Exchange relations has made rapid progress. Last year, the two countries even signed a security agreement, which attracted global attention. Less than four years later, from July 9th to 15th, Sogavare visited China again.
Sogavare stated in an interview with Global Times on the 11th that the opening of the Solomon Islands Embassy in China is an "important milestone" in the development of bilateral relations. In the future, bilateral relations between the two countries, civil relations between the two countries, and shared values between the two countries will be further strengthened through their embassies in China.
According to Xinhua News Agency, on the afternoon of July 10th, the leaders of China and Solomon Islands held a meeting and jointly announced that China and Solomon Islands have officially established a comprehensive strategic partnership of mutual respect and common development in the new era, and issued a Joint Statement and signed multiple cooperation documents. According to Agence France Presse, the documents signed by China cover multiple fields such as development cooperation, trade, civil aviation, customs, meteorology, etc., including a police cooperation agreement valid until 2025.
In response, Sogavare told Global Times reporters that China is a great country with strong economic power globally. "It is now the world's second largest economy and will soon become the world's largest economy." He said that for Solomon Islands and other small island countries, it would be "very foolish" not to develop close relations with major powers like China and seize the opportunities provided by China.
He also told reporters that the Solomon Islands has signed memorandums with China in various areas that can promote economic development vision. "China is our good friend and it can achieve these goals," he said
"The relationship between the Solomon Islands and China is a special and unique bilateral relationship," Sogavare said in a speech at the ceremony that day. "The relationship between the two is based on the principles of equality, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and non-interference in internal affairs."
The leader of South Pacific reiterated his country's support for the one China principle and expressed his willingness to develop relations with China in various fields. At the same time, he recalled with emotion that during the COVID-19 epidemic, China was one of the first countries to provide Solomon Islands with vaccines that the country urgently needed. In addition, China also provided testing equipment to the country and supported the construction of the country's health infrastructure. "China has always stood with us."
According to public reports, from July 9th to 15th, Sogavare and his delegation in the fields of diplomacy, commerce, and other fields plan to visit multiple cities in Beijing, Jiangsu, and Guangdong, and visit multiple enterprises to explore cooperation opportunities. On the 10th, when attending the first high-level meeting of the Global Action Forum for Shared Development in Beijing, Sogavare said that all parties should use the "the Belt and Road" and other frameworks to share development experience, transform development potential into prosperity, and again stressed the need to enhance economic capacity through high-quality infrastructure.
"I am very happy," said Chinese Ambassador to Solomon Islands Li Ming in an interview with Global Times reporters at the opening ceremony of the Solomon Islands Embassy in China on the 11th. "I hope that after the opening of the Embassy in China, it can further promote bilateral relations to a new high.". "I believe that whether in Beijing or Honiara, the Chinese Embassy in Hong Kong and the Solomon Islands' Embassy in China are willing to work together and work hand in hand to promote greater development of friendly relations between the two countries and their peoples."
