Prime Minister Hon. James Marape has commended the United States of America and the People’s Republic of China for their pledges to work together with the nations of the Pacific.
Prime Minister Marape made these remarks following statements issued at the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders Meeting by US Deputy Secretary of State Dr Kurt Campbell and the Chinese Government Special Envoy for Pacific Island Countries, Qian Bo. Both representatives expressed a commitment to building a stronger presence in the Pacific and collaborating with the 18 members of the PIF to address issues and challenges faced by these nations.
Prime Minister Marape said, “For me, one of the highlights of the moment was to see the US and China laying aside any differences and pledging to work together. Besides many other highlights, including the establishment of our Climate Resilience Fund and further commitments to work together to address climate change issues, the major highlight for me was the USA and China pledging to work together with us, the Pacific Island nations, on matters that are of great importance to us—such as the economy and climate change, among others.”
“In my five years of holding foreign relations meetings, I have never heard such public pronouncements of the United States and China agreeing to work together as closely as pledged today. I highly commend Dr Campbell and the Chinese special envoy on their uniting to arrive at one solid voice.
“The PIF may have achieved something quite historical here by successfully getting our superpowers to come together to work in the Pacific region. Needless to say, both nations share with us the great Pacific Ocean, and it is essential that we all learn to coexist. That is the way of the Pacific—living together in peace, harmony, and balance.
“I am also pleased that China has taken our advice on board and has stepped up significantly on trade and commerce and people-to-people assistance without any considerations for the security aspect of the relationship. I have been working on this line with them, so it was good to hear China say they are not competing with anyone in the security space and that they will work for the common good of all with no discrimination.”
The Prime Minister also lauded China for its transition to clean energy, which was also announced at the summit.
“For many of our small island countries in the Pacific, which are falling victim to the ravaging impact of climate change, including rising sea levels and drastic weather patterns, I am pleased to hear this announcement. China has indicated that they have moved past 50 per cent in renewable energy and that over 50 per cent of their vehicles now operate on electricity. I commend them.”
In turn, Prime Minister Marape praised the United States for its contribution of $25 million to the Pacific Climate Resilience Fund and its pledge to work with the PIF members on cleaner energy solutions for the Pacific.
“I commend the United States for stepping up in the Pacific without compromising PIF members’ rights to associate with all nations, including China.
“I am very pleased to note that both of our leading nations have made their positions clear: to work more closely with us in our region. This is excellent news for the region and the peoples of the Pacific,” said Prime Minister Marape.
PM Marape also congratulated the leaders of Tonga for successfully hosting a productive session of the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders' meeting.
