China will continue to support Pacific Islands countries

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(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-08-22 11:28

ALOFI, Niue -- Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Jieyi said Thursday that China attaches great importance to relations with Pacific Islands nations and will continue to support the islands people to improve their lives.

Liu, who is here for the 20th Post-Forum Dialogue Partners' Plenary, noted that both China and Pacific islands nations are developing countries.

"Although we are in different development stages, we can help each in many aspects," he said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua.

"As a developing country, China is willing to help the Pacific Islands nations in economic and social development, which we regard as a part of the 'South-South Cooperation'", Liu said.

China, as one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, supports the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), said the Chinese official, adding that China sees its assistance to Pacific Islands countries as substantial contribution to the MDGs.

In the past years, the Chinese government has offered some assistance programs to island countries in infrastructure, agriculture and personnel training, trying to enhance the countries' human resource and self-development capability, Liu said.

Those programs have achieved positive outcomes with general appreciation from island countries, he added.

"We offered assistance to the Pacific Island countries to help them develop local economies and to improve people's living standard, without any political precondition."

"The Islands government and people thus take China as a real friend, and we are proud of this and are willing to continue to help," Liu said.

At the first ministerial conference of China-Pacific Islands Countries Economic and Development Cooperation Forum held in Fiji in 2006, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao announced concrete measures to help the Pacific Islands countries.

"Those measures are being actively implemented and have brought real benefits to the people of those countries," Liu said.

Commenting on this year's PIF summit, Liu said the meeting discussed a wide range of issues, reflecting the organization's concerns at international affairs.