Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Friday that Vanuatu is a good friend and partner of China in the Pacific Islands region during a meeting with Charlot Salwai, the prime minister of Vanuatu, in Beijing.
“China is a promoter of and contributor to peaceful coexistence and common development in the Pacific Islands region,” Xi said during the talks held at the Great Hall of the People.
China will always vote for the developing countries in the United Nations, he pledged.
China views its relations with Pacific Island countries from the perspective of promoting the building of a shared community for mankind and values such ties, said Xi.
He said China is ready to continue to provide assistance within its capacity for the economic and social development and improvement of people’s livelihoods in the island countries and support them in accelerating the realisation of their independent and sustainable development goals.
Xi also stressed that China maintains that all countries are equal regardless of their size, pursues common interests and puts friendship first in pursuing cooperation.
It seeks neither power competition nor a geopolitical sphere of influence, he said.
China does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries or force other countries to take sides, and it always stands on the right side of history and on the side of fairness and justice, Xi stressed.
China and Vanuatu agreed to upgrade their comprehensive strategic partnership to build a community with a shared future in the new era between the two countries in a joint statement issued on Friday.
During talks with Vanuatu’s prime minister, Xi said the two countries have maintained profound friendship and stood by each other on issues concerning each other’s core interests over the past 42 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations.
China attaches great importance to the development of China-Vanuatu relations and is ready to continue to deepen the high-level political mutual trust, join the high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and deepen the all-weather and all-round friendship and cooperation to build a community with a shared future in the new era between the two countries, he said.
Xi added China is willing to exchange governance experience with Vanuatu, share development opportunities brought about by Chinese modernisation, strengthen the alignment of development strategies, deepen practical cooperation in infrastructure, economy, trade, investment and climate change, and encourage Chinese businesses to go to Vanuatu.
He said China will continue to provide economic and technical assistance to Vanuatu without any political attachments and help it secure development and prosperity.
For his part, Salwai said the three global initiatives and the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind proposed by the Chinese president are of great significance in upholding international justice and promoting common development.
China follows the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and treats smaller countries like Vanuatu on an equal footing, which fully reflects equality and respect for such countries, he said.
The government of Vanuatu is committed to the One-China principle, believes that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory, supports all the efforts by the Chinese government to realise national reunification and opposes “Taiwan independence” in any form, said Salwai.
Vanuatu’s government also supports China’s position on issues related to Xinjiang, Hong Kong, Xizang, human rights and the South China Sea, he added.
Salwai said Vanuatu wants to learn from China’s experience in governance, strengthen the alignment of development strategies with China, and promote practical cooperation in infrastructure, economy, trade and other fields.
Vanuatu is ready to work closely with China on international and multilateral collaboration and promote the building of a Vanuatu-China community with a shared future, he said.
