China News Agency, Beijing, May 26 (Xie Yanbing) Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will start a 10-day foreign visit on the 26th, visiting South Pacific island countries such as the Solomon Islands and East Timor.
The itinerary of this visit is intensive, covering almost all Pacific island countries that have established diplomatic relations with China, and has attracted much attention from the outside world.
It is known that from May 26 to June 4, Wang Yi will be invited to pay official visits to eight countries including Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and East Timor, and visit the Federated States of Micronesia. Conducted a "cloud visit", held video meetings with the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the Cook Islands and the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Niue, and hosted the second China-Pacific Islands Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Fiji.
Experts here have noticed that whether it is an offline visit, a "cloud visit" or a video meeting, the South Pacific island countries that have established diplomatic relations with China so far all appear in the "list" of this foreign visit. It can be said that this visit is for the establishment of diplomatic relations. A "full coverage" of the diplomacy of South Pacific island countries.
An expert on international issues who was interviewed by a reporter from China News Agency said that the visit shows that China's characteristics of implementing all-round diplomacy are becoming more and more prominent, and the importance it attaches to South Pacific island countries has never been higher.
As Wang Yi said, China has always paid special attention and support to Pacific island countries.
And this concern and support is rooted in the past, more based on the present, and focused on the future.
The friendly exchanges between China and Pacific island countries have a long history.
Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in the 1970s, China has been actively developing friendly and cooperative relations with Pacific island countries based on the principle of equality and mutual benefit, setting a model for South-South cooperation.
Especially in 2014 and 2018, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the South Pacific twice and held meetings with the leaders of the island countries that established diplomatic ties, elevating the relationship between China and the Pacific island countries to a comprehensive strategic partnership, opening a new historical milestone in the development of the relationship between China and the Pacific island countries. chapter.
Guo Yanjun, director of the Institute of Asian Studies of China Foreign Affairs University, pointed out that based on such a sound foundation, the relationship between China and the Pacific island countries will continue to deepen. Inject new impetus into the comprehensive strategic partnership.
At present, the international situation is complex and turbulent, and risks and challenges are constantly intensifying. According to the interviewed experts, how to help South Pacific island countries improve their independent development capabilities to better cope with it is the second point of this interview.
At present, the global epidemic is still spreading, regional security hotspots are emerging one after another, and the economic recovery of various countries is fragile and weak.
Most of the Pacific island countries are small in scale, have a single and fragile economic structure, and have limited ability to resist risks.
Ruan Zongze, executive vice president of the China Institute of International Studies, pointed out that this visit will be dedicated to helping the South Pacific island countries solve the most difficult problems and expand practical cooperation, which is completely consistent with the current needs of the South Pacific island countries and meets the common expectations of all countries.
Post-epidemic recovery, disaster prevention and mitigation, climate change, and increasing development space will be important topics of the trip.
In October last year, the first China-Pacific Island Foreign Ministers' Meeting was held by video. China and Pacific Island countries have become institutionalized in their cooperation, and a series of cooperation mechanisms have been established, including emergency material reserves, poverty reduction and development cooperation center, fishery cooperation and development forum, response The Climate Change Cooperation Center, etc., all focus on the issues of greatest concern and the most urgent development needs of Pacific island countries.
This year's second foreign ministers' meeting will be held offline and for the first time in the island country of Fiji.
Experts interviewed said that this will create more new highlights for regional cooperation, and all parties may evaluate the results of the operation of the mechanism and discuss how to further promote the implementation of the measures.
Judging from the specific itinerary, Solomon Islands is the first stop of this visit.
The China Exchange recently formally signed a bilateral security cooperation framework agreement, which has attracted much attention from the outside world.
Undoubtedly, the cooperation between China and the Exchange is also a highlight of this trip.
Although it has only been three years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 2019, the practical cooperation between the two countries in various fields has continued to deepen.
The Solomon Islands also regards the visit of the Chinese foreign minister as a "milestone" visit, and its government issued a statement revealing that the focus of the visit is to sign a series of key bilateral agreements.
Recently, the United States, Australia and other Western countries have kept accusing and smearing the security cooperation between China and Solomon Islands, exaggerating the so-called "China military threat", and even threatening to launch a "military intervention" operation against the Solomon Islands.
In this regard, Guo Yanjun believes that this kind of slander is completely untenable, and the security cooperation between China and Solomon Islands is completely reasonable and legal, which is in the interests of both sides, and also contributes to regional peace and stability.
He pointed out that this visit can also show that China and other countries develop friendly relations on the basis of peaceful coexistence and are not affected by threats from any country.
In addition, the visit of the Chinese foreign minister comes at a time when US President Joe Biden is trying to build a "small circle" with the recent "Asian trip" and build a "front against China" with the "Indo-Pacific economic framework".
Guo Yanjun analyzed that, compared with the closed and exclusive "Indo-Pacific economic framework", the cooperation between China and Pacific island countries is completely open, respectful and not aimed at third parties.
The two are fundamentally different in concept, policy and advocacy.
Ruan Zongze said that South Pacific island countries have always opposed the Cold War mentality of binary opposition and do not want to be involved in the geopolitics of major powers.
However, the United States and Western countries continue to practice the "Monroe Doctrine" in the name of the "Pacific Family".
"No matter how the international situation changes, China will continue to seek common development with Pacific island countries through mutually beneficial cooperation and bring tangible benefits to them." Ruan Zongze said that this visit will also send a positive signal that China maintains peace, stability and development in the Asia-Pacific. , and the call for a new type of international relations.
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