චීන ජනපති - ෆීජි අගමැති අතර හමුවක්

Chinese President - Fiji PM meet

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka in Beijing on Tuesday, with the two pledging to strengthen cooperation in multiple areas.

Xi extended a warm welcome to Rabuka, who is visiting China from Aug 12 to 21, and congratulated the Fiji's Men's Rugby Sevens team on winning the silver medal at the Paris Olympic Games.

Noting that Fiji was the first Pacific Island country to establish diplomatic relations with China and that next year will mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties, Xi said the two countries have always supported and helped each other for nearly half a century, setting a good example of equal treatment and friendly cooperation between large and small countries.

China attaches great importance to China-Fiji relations and is willing to continue to provide assistance to the best of its ability to help advance Fiji's economic and social development, and work with Fiji to grasp the general direction of bilateral relations and promote the building of a China-Fiji community with a shared future to better benefit the two peoples, Xi said.

Taking into account Rabuka's visits to the Chinese provinces of Yunnan, Fujian, and Zhejiang during his 10-day trip, Xi elaborated on China's practices and experiences in poverty alleviation.

Xi emphasized that realizing moderate prosperity in all aspects for over 1.4 billion people is a historic milestone made by the Chinese people under the leadership of the Communist Party of China and is also China's historic contribution to the cause of poverty alleviation and the development of mankind.

China is advancing the noble cause of building a great country and achieving national rejuvenation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization, said Xi, adding that Chinese modernization pursues the path of peaceful development.

Noting that both China and Fiji belong to the Global South, Xi said China is willing to help Fiji and other Pacific Island countries cope with climate change, and step up development cooperation with those countries, so as to make the Pacific Ocean a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation.

For his part, Rabuka congratulated the Chinese sports delegation on their outstanding performance at the Paris Olympics.

Remembering his visits to Yunnan, Fujian, and Zhejiang as well as trips to some other places in China when serving as Fijian prime minister 30 years ago, Rabuka said he has personally witnessed and has been deeply impressed by the tremendous achievements China has accomplished in poverty alleviation and national development under the leadership of Xi.

Expressing willingness to learn from China's development experience, Rabuka said Fiji is ready to strengthen cooperation with China in areas such as poverty alleviation, infrastructure, and connectivity.

He noted that Fiji fully understands China's position on the Taiwan question and will continue to firmly pursue the one-China policy.

The two sides also issued a joint statement following the meeting.

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