Friday 21^st, 2012

Sheraton Hotel, Denarua

 

The following is a list of highlights from His Excellency’s Speech:

Progress in Fiji:

·         “Your country has achieved great achievement under the leadership of Mr. Prime Minister and the country enjoys social stability, economic advancement.”

Political Cooperation:

·         “Politically we support each. We trust each other and we don’t interfere in each other’s internal affairs.”

·         “We also look positively at the Fiji Government as taking China as an important component in your Look North Policy.”

·         “We are opposed to the bullying of big region strong countries over the small or weak countries. The Chinese are opposed to the imposition of isolation by some countries over Fiji, and China will continue to talk to relevant countries to engage in constructive and equal footing engagement and on the basis of equality and solidarity of differences.”

Economic Cooperation:

·    “Economically we pursue mutually beneficial and win-win economic cooperation.”

·     “Our two economies are highly complementary. Fiji has rich forestry, agricultural and tourist resources. China has the strength in financing technology and market, so there’s great potential for our cooperation. Also there is also an existing sound basis for cooperation. In 2011, Bilateral Trade totaled  $US172 million, up by 34 per cent in a year.”

·         “China’s investment in Fiji reached almost  $US100 million and China’s companies have successfully implemented projects with regard to stadium, hotels and mineral resources.”

·         “Our two sides have also worked in good collaboration with each other to implement and fully deliver the existing and on going projects. For example in Nadarivatu the Hydro Power Station and also some road upgrading projects.”

·         “We will also encourage Chinese companies to invest more and import more from Fiji and in expression of the friendly sentiments of China towards Fiji we have decided to provide $40 million RMB assistance and $1million US dollars worth of Office equipment to Fiji.”

·         “We will continue to support the legitimate aspirations of Fiji, which includes Climate change, Marine resources protection and promoting sustainable development we will also support justice participating in peacekeeping operations.”

Cultural Cooperation:

·   “We understand that Fiji has an interest to introduce Chinese Language curriculum in public funded schools in the country, we are willing to provide trainers. Starting from the next academic year China will provide 30 government scholarships to Fiji.”

·     “Every year there are about 30,000 Chinese visitors to Fiji and the numbers keep increasing. There are also more and more Fijians studying in China. We also warmly congratulate the establishment of the Fiji China Friendship Association, and that it will promote the people-to-people contact.”

·         “There is a great potential in tourism cooperation is that last year alone there were around 70 million outbound visits made by Chinese tourists and already in the first 6 months of this year there are already 39 million outbound visits and for the whole year it is expected to exceed 80 million visits.”

The full text of the speech can be found below:

Thank you Honorable Prime Minister for those remarks.

It’s my great pleasure to get acquainted with Mr. Prime Minister and your Ministers.

First of all I thank you for your warm invitation and for your general hospitality that you have made a special trip from Suva to Nadi to meet us and just now such a grand welcoming ceremony which speaks of the high level of importance that you have placed upon this visit of our delegation and this speaks of the friendly sentiments of the Prime Minister and the Fijian people towards China.

You are an old friend of China; you have made many visits to China and work actively to promote bilateral relations.

We speak positively of the contribution that you have made and I would also like to convey the warm greetings of His Excellency Premier Wen Jiabao and as friends we are very happy and pleased to see that your country has achieved great achievement under the leadership of Mr. Prime Minister and the country enjoys social stability, economic advancement and the good lives of the people will find peace and tranquility here.

We are confident that there will be even greater success under the leadership of Mr. Prime Minister.

I fully agree with you on the evaluation of the bilateral relations. Fiji was the first country in the Pacific to establish diplomatic relations with the Peoples Republic of China and since 1975 our diplomatic relations have developed very smoothly, particularly that relation has been developing in a positive momentum since 2006 when the two countries decided to establish a key partnership with each other.

Politically we support each, we trust each other and we don’t interfere in each other’s internal affairs. Economically we pursue mutually beneficial and win win economic cooperation.

Culturally we respect each other and we also learn from other. On international and regional matters we have maintained consultation for communication to jointly defend the interests of developing countries. We are gratified with the state of Fiji-China relationship. We have great importance to develop relations with Fiji and view Fiji as a great friend and a good partner in the South Pacific region.

We also look positively at the Fiji Government as taking China as an important component in your Look North Policy. This is also the first visit by China’s NPC Chairman to Fiji and the purpose of my visit is to further deepen our cooperation and friendship.

I know would like to make several proposals first strengthening high level contacts and strengthen the mutual political trust. Mr. Prime Minister has made many visits to China and developed good working and personal relations with China’s leadership. We warmly welcome Prime Minister to pay another visit to China at a mutually convenient time.

We warmly welcome the Ministers to visit China and look around.

China Fiji relations is characterized by political mutual trust and that the two countries over each other understanding and strong support in each others core interest and major concerns.

We thank you Mr. Prime Minister for your support to the One-China Policy, we respect your countries choice of development growth placing on your national circumstances and we support this Great country in participating in the international affairs as an equal member of the International community and we will continue to do what we can for Fiji in its social and economical development.

In China we always stand for democratization of international relations and respect the diversity of the World. And all countries big or small, strong or weak, rich or poor are all equal members of the International community.

International issues will be discussed on equal footing consultations among countries, the massive issues will be decided by people of their countries.

We are opposed to the bullying of big region strong countries over the small or weak countries. The Chinese are opposed to the imposition of isolation by some countries over Fiji, and China will continue to talk to relevant countries to engage in constructive and equal footing engagement and on the basis of equality and solidarity of differences.

And secondly further development and intensify economic cooperation, our two economies are highly complementary. Fiji has rich forestry, agricultural and tourist resources China has the strength in financing technology and market, so there’s great potential for our cooperation. Also there is also an existing sound basis for cooperation. In 2011, Bilateral Trade totaled  $172million US up by 34 per cent in a year. The growth momentum is very positive less the rather small amount of trade also China’s investment in Fiji reached almost  $US100 million and China’s companies have successfully implemented projects with regard to stadium, hotels and mineral resources.

We have also given cooperation to Agricultural infrastructure and Human Resources and training, which have achieved good economic and social returns. Now both ties have a lot of importance on the priority and key cooperation projects and there are a large number of such projects. Our two sides have also worked in good collaboration with each other to implement and fully deliver the existing and on going projects. For example in Nadarivatu the hydro power station and also some road upgrading projects.

We hope that these projects are able to deliver benefits at an early date and secondly on some of the already agreed upon projects where the operation has not been started yet, for example the Somosomo small Hydro project, the Navua Hospital and also one of the projects for the signing of the meeting which relates to the renovation and remodeling of the roads in the Northern part of Vanua Levu.

We will require relevant Chinese companies to have early organization of the project implementation and thirdly which is also a proposal by Mr Prime Minister on the National Stadium, we also hope that more detailed materials will be provided and the basis of feasibility we can at a proper time start the implementation of the project.

There’s also a request for 20 protocol vehicles we will give favourable consideration to that. Our competent departments and authorities will step up their consultation and communication. In our delegation is the Vie Commerce Minister, he will maintain contact with you.

China supports the China Development cooperation with you in terms of consultancy with key industries, we will also encourage Chinese companies to invest more and import more from Fiji and in expression of the friendly sentiments of China towards Fiji we have decided to provide $40 million RMB  assistance and $1million US dollars worth of Office equipment  to Fiji.

And the third proposal is to further the culture and people to people contact.  I am very happy to note that there is a positive momentum, we are very pleased to see the establishment of the first Confucius institute in Fiji, which has become a window to  be able to learn more about China.

The Xinhua news Agency has also set up its office in Suva and its business operations now cover the South Pacific region. The Ambassador told me that every year there are about 30,000 Chinese visitors to Fiji and the numbers keep increasing, there are also more and more Fijians studying in China, we also warmly congratulate the establishment of the Fiji China Friendship Association and that it will promote the people to people contact.

We understand that Fiji has an interest to introduce Chinese Language curriculum in public funded schools in the country, we are willing to provide trainers. Starting from the next academic year China will provide 30 government scholarships  to Fiji.

Fourthly, we propose to further strengthen our relations at higher level operations, we speak highly of the support given by Fiji to China over the years in international affairs particularly on the understanding of China to the United Nations reforms. We will continue to support the legitimate aspirations of Fiji, which includes Climate change, Marine resources protection and promoting sustainable development we will also support justice participating in peacekeeping operations

We thank the Prime Minister for the reiterance on support for the One China Policy. Taiwan issue is an issue of concern to us. Just sad to say that the cross state relations has remarkably improved in recent years and has maintained momentum of peaceful development and the situation across Taiwan states has appeared unprecedented state of peace and stability. Our position is also a consistent one. We will continue to promote the peaceful development of cross state relationship and continue to be committed to the peaceful reunification policy. No matter how the situation will evolve, our position to oppose Taiwan independence to China through one China one Taiwan will not change, and will not change in the future. We hope Fiji will continue to support our love to course for reunification and appear to one china principles and the approach to one china policy with prudence and refuse to have any official kind of contact with the Taiwan authorities because this concerns China’s interest and the sentiments of the 1.3 billion people.

Now the climate change is a concern to the people of Fiji we also face importance and we fully understand the specific concerns of small island countries on climate change our principle is that we stick to the common but differentiated responsibilities principle the developed countries should fulfill their obligations and deliver their commitments on relevant funding and technology for commitment. The developing countries should strengthen their unity because they are all victims of the climate change. In   July this year China’s Vice-Chairman of the reform commission made a trip to Fiji to discuss this issue, we are willing to step up cooperation on the topic of climate change and in China we are actively promoting the readjustment of our energy mix with some success achieved already.

Today China exports 70 per cent of the total exports of solar power equipment and our wind power generating capacity has already reached 52 million liter fuelage and has kept increasing at an annual average rate of 87 per cent. In terms of the installed power generating capacity we are the world’s most biggest ranked. We spent only 5 years to complete the course taken by the western countries over 15 years, we also noticed that Fiji has reached wind, solar and tidal power resources we are willing to start up relevant cooperation under the South-South cooperation framework. We are willing to provide relevant support.

About Tourism support as Mr. Prime Minister stated I think this is a very important cooperation, you have a very beautiful and unique landscape and let me be honest there are not many good resorts in China, we may have some in the highlands of China many Chinese people would like to travel and tour Fiji and the reason why I say there is a great potential in tourism cooperation is that last year alone there were around 70 million outbound visits made by Chinese tourists and already in the first 6 months of this year there are already 39 million outbound visits and for the whole year it is expected to exceed 80 million visits.

This time I made visits to Myanmmar and Sri Lanka and I see that you not only have good tourism resources but very good facilities. More people from China they will bring their families and children to have a holiday in Fiji.

On the trade agreement issues as well as our cooperation in the footwear and textile sector our price and commerce minister has taken note of that and once again I thank Mr Prime Minister for your warm invitation and generous hospitality.

    -End-