China has pledged to deepen its development partnership with Solomon Islands, reaffirming its commitment to align future assistance with the GREAT Coalition Government’s national priorities.
The commitment was made during talks in Beijing this week between Foreign Affairs Minister Rick Houenipwela and the Chairman of the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), Chen Xiaodong.
Houenipwelea is in China this week on his first official visit.
During the meeting, Chen said China fully supports Solomon Islands in pursuing a development path that reflects its own national priorities and economic aspirations.
He revealed that since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 2019, China has provided 1.8 billion RMB (approximately SBD2.8 billion) in development assistance to Solomon Islands.
The funding has supported several flagship projects, including the Pacific Games National Stadium, Solomon Islands National University student dormitories, the National Referral Hospital Comprehensive Medical Centre and the Dala–Atori Road in Malaita Province.
Minister Houenipwela thanked China for its continued support, describing the relationship as one that has expanded rapidly over the past seven years.
He noted that more than 40 bilateral agreements and memoranda of understanding have been signed since diplomatic ties were established, creating a strong platform for future cooperation.
Houenipwela also outlined the GREAT Coalition Government’s key priorities, including delivering free education, reducing electricity costs by 80 per cent and accelerating infrastructure development to boost economic growth and improve connectivity across the country.
Chen welcomed those priorities and said China was prepared to work closely with Solomon Islands to identify and implement high-impact projects that support the Government’s development agenda.
The two sides also discussed expanding cooperation in education and human resource development.
The Foreign Minister acknowledged China’s scholarship and training programmes, noting that 202 Solomon Islands students are currently studying at Chinese universities, while more than 1,300 Solomon Islanders have completed short-term professional training courses in China.
Solomon Islands switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in September 2019.
Since then, Beijing has become one of the country’s largest development partners, financing and supporting major infrastructure, health, education, telecommunications and transport projects.
Both sides agreed to maintain close dialogue and further strengthen their comprehensive strategic partnership through practical cooperation and regular high-level engagement.
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