Hon Premier Dalton Tagelagi,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear Friends,
Good evening!
Fakaalofa atu!
It gives me great pleasure to join all of you to mark the 15th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Niue. During my first visit here in August to present the credentials, I was amazed and deeply touched by the unique and beautiful scenery and the warm and friendly people on the island. And here I am again, three months later. We might be, in the words of the Premier, in the middle of nowhere, but are certainly among the best of friends and the dearest of all brothers and sisters, to celebrate the journey we have taken together, and above all, look ahead at how we might take our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to the next level.
First of all, I would like to take this opportunity to extend my warm greetings and heartfelt thanks to all of you and, and through you, to all the friends who care about and support the development of China-Niue relations. Your longstanding contribution to the healthy and steady development of our partnership is deeply appreciated. I would also like to acknowledge friends from all walks of life who have worked hard to make today’s celebrations possible. Thank you!
In relations between countries, 15 years may not be a very long time. But China and Niue felt a sense of kinship at our first ever encounter, and have since been good friends sharing a common vision, good brothers helping each other through weal and woe, and good partners walking side by side towards common development. The cooperation between the two countries is exemplary for countries irrespective of their difference in size to cooperate on the basis of equality, mutual respect and win-win results.
Over the past 15 years, China and Niue have respected each other and shared similar ideals and beliefs. 15 years ago, under the leadership of the then Premier Young Vivian, the two sides signed the Joint Communique to establish diplomatic ties at the ambassadorial level. 4 years ago, President Xi Jinping met with Hon Premier Talagi in Papua New Guinea and upgraded the bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership featuring mutual respect and common development, opening up a new chapter of comprehensive cooperation. In recent years, Hon Premier Tagalagi has kept close correspondence with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang, and attended in person the regional conferences several times between China and the Pacific Island Countries which have diplomatic ties with China, and met with Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi virtually, all of which has demonstrated and consolidated the strong bond of trust between our two countries.
Over the past 15 years, the two sides have respected each other’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity, upholding the principle of non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, maintaining communication and coordination on regional and international issues of common concern and lending each other valuable support on multiple occasions. China appreciates Niue’s firm commitment to the one-China principle and Niue’s understanding and support of China’s major concerns.
Over the past 15 years, China and Niue have helped each other through thick and thin. In 2005, even before the establishment of diplomatic ties, the Chinese government rendered support to Niue to deal with the aftermath of a cyclone. In 2008, when China suffered a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Wenchuan, Niue offered help to China for post-disaster reconstruction. Such a kind and generous gesture touched the hearts of tens of thousands of Chinese people. In response to COVID, China and Niue have also supported and helped each other, with China having provided medical supplies and funding support and shared technical expertise on fighting the pandemic. It is thanks to the hard work and extraordinary accomplishment by the Niuean government and people to overcome the pandemic that we can gather here today to celebrate our friendship over the past 15 years across vast distances. Please accept my warmest congratulations to all the Niuean people for this remarkable achievement!
Over the past 15 years, China and Niue have advanced together in pursuit of common development. As fellow developing partners, both countries put economic development to improve our peoples’ lives at the top of our priorities, and are committed to the realization of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of the United Nations. China and Niue have signed the MOU on Belt and Road Cooperation and kept boosting cooperation in areas such as infrastructure, radio and television and cooperation at sub-national level. We have done our best to respond to the needs of the Niuean side, by providing support and assistance to Niue without any political strings within the framework of South-South cooperation. On Tuesday, we held ceremonies to prestart the roading project and to mark the completion of the last cycle for the BCN transmission tower project, and start the process to have it renewed for the next cycle. We look forward to an early full inauguration and the smooth completion of the roading project, so as to bring more convenience to the people of Niue and tourists from across the world. We would also like to explore further projects for infrastructure development, including small-scale projects that contribute directly to improving people’s livelihoods.
Over the past 15 years, China and Niue have conducted exchanges and mutual learning, getting our two peoples to know each other better. China firmly believes that, exchanges and mutual learning between cultures and civilizations is a fundamental driving force behind the progress of humanity and efforts to maintain world peace and promote common development. During our last visit, I joined my colleagues for a visit to Taogo Niue Museum, and all of us were deeply impressed by the unique history and culture of Niue. Chinese culture has a long history and a rich heritage. Seemingly very different, our cultures actually share many important commonalities. The people of both countries value family, social harmony, friendship and unity. On this basis, the peope-to-people links between us have grown continuously since the establishment of diplomatic relations. The Niuean government has sent youth representatives to visit China, and the China National Symphony Orchestra has visited Niue to perform for the Niuean people. I have witnessed widespread interest on the part the people of Niue in the Chinese language, as we are often greeted by locals with "Ni Hao" or “ Xie Xie”. Those are simple words, but they go a long way towards making us feel at home. And I was deeply impressed and moved by no other than the Premier himself delivering his statement at the roading ceremony on Tuesday and today in Chinese. Bravo Premier. We shall also donate some Chinese TV and film content to BCN for viewing by Niuean audience on TV. Hopefully, these works can help Niuean people to better understand the Chinese culture, and the the development and changes taking place in the country thousands of miles away. We hope that more Niuean products will be introduced to China, and more and more Niuean friends will be able to visit China in person, feeling the vibes of the country and the people with your own eyes and hearts. I also hope that more Chinese people can come to Niue and have the opportunity like me to appreciate the unparalleled beauty of the island .
Currently, both China and Niue are standing at a critical juncture in our respective national development. Last Month, the Communist Party of China successfully convened its 20th National Congress, which elected the new leadership of the party with General Secretary Xi Jinping at its core and laid out the overarching goal and blueprint for China’s development in the next 5 years and beyond. We will continue to position economic development as a top priority, strive to enable the people to live a better life, and realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through the Chinese path to modernization. In terms of foreign policy, the Congress clearly stated that China will continue to firmly pursue an independent foreign policy of peace, uphold the principles of sincerity, practical results, affinity and good faith, commit to the greater good and shared interests, to safeguard the common interests of the developing world, and to maintain world and regional peace, stability and prosperity. We are also very pleased to note that the implementation of the “Niue National Strategic Plan from 2016 to 2026” is also advancing steadily and has made significant progress. Going down the road, China is willing to continue to do its best to help the Niuean people to pursue a better life, make good use of our respective advantages, and strengthen our cooperation for common development.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
15 years ago, the leaders of our two countries, with their vision and statesmanship, took the decisive joint step to establish diplomatic relations between us. China became the first country other than New Zealand to establish diplomatic relations with Niue. As we are celebrating the 15th anniversary of our relations, changes across the world and changes of the times and history are unfolding in unprecedented ways, and Pacific island countries are addressing challenges such as climate change and COVID. But I am confident that as long as we continue to respect and support each other, and work on the basis of mutual benefit and common prosperity, we will have the courage, wisdom and ability to tackle the common challenges facing us. Again in the words of Hon Premier Tagelagi, Niue is a small island in the middle of nowhere. That might be true. But Niue is by no means alone. The bridge of friendship between China and Niue has already crossed mountains and seas to connect the two peoples together. Let us continue to jointly build this bridge of friendship and work together to create our brighter common future!
Finally, I wish to propose a toast:
To the progress we have made together in the past 15 years;
To the happiness and well-being of our two peoples;
And To a brighter future for our two countries and our relationship.
Thank you!
Fakaaue lahi！