China, Vanuatu reach 5-point consensus on bilateral ties, int'l cooperation

Vanuatu Prime Minister Bob Loughman (3rd R) and his key cabinet members meet with visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (4th L) in Port Vila, Vanuatu, June 1, 2022. (Xinhua)

PORT VILA, June 1 (Xinhua) -- China and Vanuatu reached a five-point consensus on bolstering bilateral ties and cooperation on international and regional affairs Wednesday after Vanuatu Prime Minister Bob Loughman and his key cabinet members met with visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Wang said that his meeting with the Vanuatu side highlights the great importance the Pacific island country attaches to its relations with China and the high level of their cooperation.

China and Vanuatu have trusted and supported each other for 40 years since they established diplomatic relations, and they have become a model for developing countries for their mutual respect, unity and consultation, he said.

He noted that China is willing to work with Vanuatu to sum up their successful experience and plan for their relations for the next 40 years, so as to constantly inject new impetus to a China-Vanuatu community with a shared future.

Loughman said Wang's visit to Vanuatu, which he called a historic one, signaled China's commitment to advancing China-Vanuatu relations.

Vanuatu and China have given mutual trust and firm support to each other over the past 40 years since they established diplomatic ties, Loughman said.

He thanked China for its huge, long-standing assistance to Vanuatu in securing stability and sustainable development, which proved China as a true friend of Vanuatu.

Loughman pledged to uphold the one-China principle as a political bedrock, take the joint building of Belt and Road as a guidance for their cooperation, and lift their comprehensive strategic partnership to a new level.

The two sides had in-depth exchanges on advancing bilateral ties and boosting cooperation on international and regional affairs, and reached a broad consensus.

Firstly, both countries agreed to strengthen political mutual trust, carry forward the tradition of mutual respect and treating each other as equals, and continue to staunchly support each other in safeguarding their core interests and national dignity.

Secondly, both sides agreed to uphold win-win cooperation with mutual benefits. They will synergize their development strategies, tap into cooperation potential, jointly advance high-quality construction of the Belt and Road, make full use of the development opportunities offered by China, and expand the export of Vanuatu's quality goods to China.

The two sides will develop a blue economy partnership, further explore cooperation highlights including new energy and digital economy, while furthering cooperation in traditional fields such as infrastructure. China will help Vanuatu strengthen its capacity for self-development and enhance its international competitiveness.

Thirdly, they agreed to enhance the friendship between the two peoples. Both sides will boost people-to-people exchanges, and consolidate the social and public foundation of bilateral relations.

Wang said China appreciates Vanuatu for including the Chinese language teaching in its national education system and stands ready to continue supporting the Chinese language teaching in Vanuatu by dispatching Chinese teachers and conducting two-way language and cultural exchanges, among others, to foster more friendly messengers of the two countries.

China will continue to join hands with Vanuatu in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and dispatch more medical teams to help the island country protect the health of its people.

Fourthly, both sides agreed to deepen strategic coordination. The two sides pledged to uphold true multilateralism, forge unity in the fight against the pandemic and push forward the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

Loughman spoke highly of the China-proposed Global Development Initiative and stands ready to be part in it.

Wang welcomed Vanuatu's support for China's Global Security Initiative, its practice of China's vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and its contribution to world peace.

Fifthly, both sides agreed to boost regional cooperation, calling for employing bilateral cooperation and the mechanism of China-Pacific Island Countries Foreign Ministers' Meeting as twin engines for coordinated efforts to accelerate common development.

Wang introduced China's Position Paper on Mutual Respect and Common Development with Pacific Island Countries that was released on Monday, saying the document demonstrates China's willingness to deepen political mutual trust, expand mutually beneficial cooperation and safeguard the common interests with the island countries while providing both overall plan and specific measures for the next-stage cooperation.

China's cooperation with Pacific island countries is aboveboard, open and transparent, Wang noted, adding that China will stay in unity and continue the mutual help with the island countries for moving forward together.

Loughman said his country speaks highly of the important role of the mechanism of China-Pacific Island Countries Foreign Ministers' Meeting, feels encouraged by the vision and proposals in China's position paper, and appreciates China's pledge to continue building six new platforms of cooperation.

Loughman believes that cooperation with China will surely help Pacific island countries better seize development opportunities and further upgrade the cooperation between Pacific island countries and China.

After the meeting, the two sides witnessed the signing of a series of cooperation documents, including economy, technology, health and blue economy.

Wang is on a visit to Vanuatu as part of his tour to the Pacific island countries, which will also take him to Papua New Guinea and Timor Leste. Before arriving in Port Vila, he visited the Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Samoa, Fiji and Tonga.