Meeting new friends in mid-spring, Xi Jinping hopes to "sow seeds of hope" in Hebei-China relations

　　China News Service, Beijing, March 26, Title: Meeting with new friends in February, Xi Jinping hopes to "sow seeds of hope" in Hebei-China-Nausa relations.

　　Author Huang Yuqin Guoxuan

　　"When you visit this time, Beijing is full of spring. Spring is the season of sowing."

　　On March 25, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with Nauruan President Adion, who was in China for a state visit. The topic of the meeting between the two heads of state started in the mid-spring season in Beijing.

　　Then, Xi Jinping said with a smile: "I am willing to work with you to make plans for the development of China-Nauia relations, sow the seeds of hope, and create a better future."

　　At the invitation of Xi Jinping, Adieng paid a state visit to China from March 24 to 29. This is also the first visit to China by a Nauruan head of state since China and Nauru restored diplomatic relations in January this year. This visit has attracted great attention from the outside world.

　　"This is the first time we have met, but I am no stranger to the Pacific island countries. I have visited this region three times." Xi Jinping told Adiang during the meeting that day. "We have many old friends in the South Pacific, and now we have I'm so happy to have you as my new friend."

　　Known as the "Paradise Island" in the Pacific, Nauru is located about 42 kilometers south of the equator. It consists of an independent coral reef island and surrounding waters. It is the smallest island country in the world. During the talks, Xi Jinping specifically mentioned the distinctive character of China's diplomacy - treating others as equals.

　　“There is a clear gap between China and Nauru in terms of population, land area, and economic development level.” Ning Tuanhui, an assistant researcher at the China Institute of International Studies, pointed out, “However, just two months after the two countries resumed diplomatic relations, the President of Nauru successfully achieved Visiting China and receiving a high-level reception from China is not only a direct reflection of China’s diplomacy of treating everyone as an equal, but also shows that China attaches great importance to bilateral relations.”

　　Such value orientation and practical choices are consistent in China’s diplomacy. Last year, when meeting with the Prime Minister of Solomon Islands, Xi Jinping clearly stated that China’s policy on Pacific Island countries adheres to the “four full respects”. Among them, the first one is to fully respect the sovereignty and independence of island countries and insist on the equality of all countries, big or small.

　　Treating each other as equals, the two sides have opened a new chapter of mutually beneficial cooperation. During the meeting with Adiang, Xi Jinping expressed his willingness to expand practical cooperation with Nau in areas such as trade, investment, and infrastructure construction. After the talks, the two heads of state jointly witnessed the signing of a number of bilateral cooperation documents in the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" and other fields, allowing the outside world to have a glimpse of the future prospects of practical cooperation between the two countries.

　　In fact, historically, in the exchanges between China and Nauru, Chinese products have always been popular "old friends" among the people of Nauru. In Nauru, from the dazzling array of Chinese products in supermarkets to the "Made in China" parts in car repair shops, Chinese elements have long been integrated into the development trajectory of local society, and Chinese products facilitate the daily lives of Nauruan people.

　　During his visit to China in January this year, Nauru's Foreign Minister Angamin said that every Nauruan has memories of local Chinese food when growing up. The first time he ate wontons, barbecued pork, and steamed buns was in Nauru. He said with a smile: "The first tableware I used was probably chopsticks, earlier than spoons, knives and forks."

　　Qin Sheng, an assistant researcher at the Australian, New Zealand and South Pacific Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, analyzed that China and Nauru will strengthen practical cooperation through this visit, from infrastructure to climate change, from agricultural processing to cultural exchanges, and the two sides will open up a broader The prospects for cooperation will also have a broad radiating effect on cooperation between China and Pacific island countries.

　　In January this year, the Nauruan government announced that it would "break off diplomatic relations" with Taiwan and seek to restore diplomatic relations with China. This was unanimously approved by the Nauruan Parliament, and all members stood up to express their support. As for Nauru's choice to stand with 182 countries in the world, Xi Jinping said during the talks that this is a move that is in line with the general trend of history and conforms to the trend of the times. Adion also said that Nauru decided to stand on the right side of history and "opened a new chapter in Nauru's national development and Nauru-China relations."

　　In recent years, Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Nauru and other Pacific island countries have established and restored diplomatic relations with China, and China's relations with Pacific island countries have developed rapidly. In this regard, Ning Tuanhui pointed out that China's open principles and fruitful results in cooperation with Pacific island countries are completely different from the geopolitical competition purposes of individual major countries, which are widely recognized by regional countries.

　　Qin Sheng analyzed that the one-China principle is the fundamental premise and political foundation for China to develop relations with other countries in the world. He believes that more and more countries will choose to go with China in the future. This is also an unstoppable trend of the times.

　　From the restoration of diplomatic relations to the successful visit of the head of state to China, the relationship between China and Nauru has opened a new historical chapter. As Xi Jinping said, friendship has no priority. As long as it is started, there will be a bright future. No matter how big or small the cooperation is, as long as it is sincere, it will yield fruitful results. (over)