On Nov 30 local time, HE Ambassador Wang Xiaolong paid a call on Hon Mark Brown, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the Cook Islands. The two sides exchanged views on celebrating the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic ties between China and the Cook Islands, promoting the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership,and on international and regional issues of common concern.
Hon Brown warmly welcomed Amb Wang and his delegation to visit Cook Islands to celebrate the 25 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries. He requested Amb Wang to convey his warm regards to the leaders of China and expressed the deepest sorrow to the Chinese Government and people over the passing of President Jiang Zemin. Amb Wang relayed the warmest greetings from China’s leaders to Hon Brown and appreciated his condolence on the passing of President Jiang Zemin.
According to HE Amb Wang, this year marks the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and the Cook Islands, an important historical juncture of the development of the bilateral relations. Since 2007, great achievements have been made in the bilateral relations, creating tangible benefits to the two countries and peoples and contributing to global and regional peace and development. China highly appreciates the Cook Islands’ firm adherence to the one-China principle. Both sides always understand and support each other on issues of core interests and major concerns. Looking ahead, China will work closely with the Cook Islands to further implement the consensus reached by leaders of both sides, maintain high level engagement, enhance political trust, expand practical cooperation, promote people-to-people exchanges, and deepen communications and coordination on regional and international issues, with a view to advancing the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership featuring Mutual Respect and Common Development, generating more benefits to the two countries and peoples, and contributing more to international and regional peace, stability, and prosperity.
HE Amb Wang further indicates that just recently, the Communist Party of China has successfully concluded its 20th National Congress, a significant meeting at a critical juncture of China’s development. The Congress elected the new leadership of the Party with General Secretary Xi Jinping at its core and laid out a blueprint of China’s future development, reaffirming that the fundamental and central task of China’s future development is to realize the Second Centenary Goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects and to advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through a Chinese path to modernization. The Congress reiterates that development remains the top priority of the Communist Party of China in national governance. In terms of foreign policy, the Congress solemnly declares that China will endeavor to safeguard world peace, promote common development, and contribute to building a community with a shared future for mankind. Firmly pursuing an independent foreign policy of peace, China will advance friendly cooperation with various countries, expand global partnerships, and remain committed to its fundamental national policy of opening up to the outside world and will continue to pursue mutually beneficial cooperation with all countries in the world, striving to create new opportunities for the world with its own new development. A China committed to ever expanding opening-up, promoting development, and seeking win-win cooperation will bring more opportunities for common development and mutually beneficial cooperation to the developing countries including the Cook Islands.
According to Hon Prime Minister Brown, the development of the bilateral relations over the past 25 years is a source of pride. Cook Islands attaches great importance to developing relations with China and appreciates the valuable support provided by China for Cook Islands' economic and social development as well as its influence in international and regional arenas. Looking back on the past 25 years, there are many similar perspectives and approaches between the two countries, such as the shared commitment to create a better life for the people and the shared commitment to building a mature and modern state. Under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, China has made tremendous achievements in modernization over the past decades, and it is admirable that hundreds of millions of people have been lifted out of poverty. Cook Islands is moving forward to build a modern state and values and looks forward to the support from its development partners, including China. Cook Islands will continue to adhere to the one-China principle, expand cooperation with China in the fields of trade and economy, infrastructure, and climate change, strengthen communication with China on international and regional issues, and further promote the development of the Cook Islands-China comprehensive strategic partnership.
The two sides also exchanged views on international and regional issues.
At the end of the meeting,Amb Wang Xiaolong presented Hon PM and FM Brown copies of Vol 4 of “Xi Jinping: The Governance of China”and Vol 1 and 2 of “Xi Jinping: Speeches on Diplomacy”. The two sides exchanges gifts to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties.
(Photo by Vicky Lu)