China and Pacific island countries cooperation potential to be unleashed

Since China officially included the South Pacific region in the southward extension of the "21st Century Maritime Silk Road" in 2015, the cooperation between China and the Pacific island countries has expanded significantly, with the potential for stronger ties becoming huge, experts said.

As developing countries, China and Pacific island countries share a similar stand on many international issues and face common challenges in development, which provides the two sides with a solid basis for cooperation, said Niu Li, executive director of Research Center for Pacific Studies of Beijing Foreign Studies University. "In the future, people-to-people exchanges, trade and ocean-based investments can play bigger roles to tap the potential of China's cooperation with the Pacific island countries."

These remarks were made at a symposium held on Thursday in Beijing for the release of Annual Report on Development of Pacific Island Countries 2022 compiled by the Research Center for Pacific Island Countries of Liaocheng University.

By thoroughly analyzing the political, economic, diplomatic situation of Pacific island countries, the report explores ways for deepening cooperation and building an even closer community with a shared future between China and the island countries.

China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative dovetails with Pacific island nations' Look North policy and 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent and is in line with the needs of regional development, according to the report.

"In terms of infrastructure construction, China and the Pacific island countries make such an ideal partnership. China has a great export capacity in the global infrastructure construction market, while run-down infrastructures have been holding back the Pacific island countries' economic development for years," said Yu Lei, chief research fellow at the Research Center for Pacific Island Countries of Liaocheng University.

"China-backed infrastructure projects help the island countries directly benefit from their considerably improved domestic and international connectivity. Better domestic connectivity facilitates the formation of a unified domestic market and raises their sense of national identity. Improved international connectivity diversifies the island countries' import sources and provides the locals with more affordable basic commodities," Yu explained.

"So there is no lack of willingness in Pacific island countries when it comes to cooperation with China, as such cooperation has effectively changed the lives of the islanders."

"There are still many potential areas of cooperation to be tapped", added Yu, who is also on the editorial board of the newly released report. "For example, deep-sea mining and off-shore wind energy can be reasonable collaboration choices, as China possesses leading technologies in these fields. China can also continue to encourage agricultural products imported from island countries, sharing the development dividends of the Chinese market."