RAROTONGA, Cook Islands, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- China laid out a raft of measures to help the sustainable development of Pacific island nations at a meeting of Pacific leaders and development partners in the Cook Islands Friday.
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai told the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Post-Forum Partners Dialogue Meeting, attended by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and representative of the European Union, Japan and other major nations, that the region 's development partners should respect the will of Pacific island countries.
This involved taking concrete actions on issues of concern to them, such as trade, health, energy and climate change.
"The thrust of China's policy toward the Pacific is to achieve peace, stability and development," said Cui.
"China has done many concrete things to support the economic and social development of Pacific island countries, always in light of the needs and interests of the countries concerned."
Cui said China would continue to help Pacific island countries realize sustainable development through a raft of measures involving high-level exchanges, helping Pacific island countries meet their Millennium Development Goals, carrying out the measures announced by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao at the Rio+20 Conference, people-to-people and cultural exchanges, providing another 400,000 U.S. dollars for China-PIF Cooperation Fund, 250,000 U.S. dollars for Pacific Islands Trade and Invest, and 150,000 U.S. dollars for the Pacific Regional Environment Program and intensifying exchanges between women's agencies and organizations.
Referring to the theme of this year's PIF meeting "Large Ocean Island States the Pacific Challenge" Cui said China attached importance to marine ecological protection and the preservation and management of fisheries.
China was active in measures to prevent illegal and unregulated fishing and would work with the international community to promote marine cooperation and sustainable development of the Pacific.
One such area was in helping Pacific island nations build fishery capacity through technical and training support and investment.
Another was intensification of cooperation in marine protection, in areas such as environment management, marine resources and ecology research, surveying and disaster prevention and control.
And third was exploring cooperation on deep-sea mineral prospecting, using the expertise of China's ocean research institutes and technology such as China's manned submersible craft, which had dived to depths of up to 7,000 meters in tests in the Pacific.
China, which had participated in the Post-Forum Partners Dialogue Meeting for 23 years, had built more than 80 industrial, agricultural and infrastructure projects in the Pacific island countries over the years, said Cui.
"In extending assistance, China attaches importance to the long- term development of recipient countries to ensure China's assistance fits their development strategies," he said.
On Thursday, Cui, Cook Islands Prime Minister Henry Puna and New Zealand Prime Minister John Key announced a joint plan to build a water supply project in Rarotonga, based on "equal-footed consultation" and with no strings attached.
China was also preparing to offer energy-conserving products to the Pacific island nations under the framework of its 200-million- RMB international cooperation program, with consideration for biogas, small hydropower, solar power and wind power installations to support climate change adaptation.
RAROTONGA, Cook Islands, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- In a speech with a heavy emphasis on "security", U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told Pacific island leaders Friday that the U.S. was looking to an "American model of partnership" in the region.
Clinton told a gathering of Pacific island leaders in the capital of the Cook Islands that she was honored to be the first U. S. Secretary of State to participate in the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF)'s Post- Forum Dialogue Partners Meeting. Full story
RAROTONGA, Cook Islands, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai firmly rejected suggestions Thursday that China's assistance to developing Pacific countries was aimed at furthering China's own interests.
In a press conference with mainly foreign journalists, Cui refuted suggestions that China was out to extend its influence or to "compete" with the United States in the Pacific. Full story
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