From April 5-12 2024, H.E. Wesley W. Simina, President of the Federated States of Micronesia conducted a scheduled state visit to the People’s Republic of China, marking the first state visit of the Simina-Palik administration. The FSM and China will celebrate 35 years of diplomatic relations this year.
The President was joined by Madame Ancelly Simina, First Lady of the Federated States of Micronesia and a delegation consisting of key cabinet members, staff and local government and private sector representatives including T.H. Lorin Robert, Secretary of the Dept. of Foreign Affairs; T.H. Elina Akinaga, Secretary of the Dept. of R&D; T.H. Carl Apis, Secretary of the Dept. of Telecommunications, Communication & Infrastructure; T.H. Marcus Samo, Secretary of the Dept. of Health & Social Affairs; T.H. Kummer Biza, Mayor of Kolonia Town; T.H. Ricky Robon, Deputy Mayor of Tonoas; FSM National Fisheries Corporation CEO Ms. Patricia Jack; NORMA Consultant Mr. Eugene Pangelinan; Deputy Assistant Secretary Kalvin Ehmes; Special Assistant to the President Yolanda Mori and Mr. Christopher Christian and Ms. Hann Ruben, both of whom represented the private sector.
The first segment of the State Visit began with visits to the provinces of Guandong and Shandong, stopping in the cities of Dongguan, Shenzhen and Yantai, featuring tours of notable sites for manufacturing, technology, fisheries and green development. The President and his delegation had the opportunity to visit and meet with the leadership of the Liancheng Overseas Fishery Group, Nanshan Ecological Park, Hytera Communications and the Changdao International Zero Carbon Island where the delegation visited the Changdao Island Marine Ecological Civilization Exhibition Hall, Fayuan Clean Energy Heating Station, Runxin Yushu Homestay Hotel, Mingzhu Square Undergound Sewage Treatment Station, Wanhua Yantai Industrial Park and Shandong Zhonglu Oceanic Foods Co., Ltd. The purpose of the site visits were to both showcase industry best practices and explore opportunities for potential collaboration.
In both provinces of Guandong and Shandong President Simina and his delegation had the opportunity to meet with the provincial leadership where they discussed deepening the existing special relationships at the local level, such as the sister-state relations between Chuuk State and Guangdong Province, the sister-city relations between Rull Municipality and Zhongshan City, the friendly-exchange city relations between Zhongshan City and Sokehs Municipality and the sister-city relations between Shandong Province and Kosrae State that were established in 1997. President Simina welcomed the opportunity to build on these relationships as well as establishing new ones to further collaboration in various sectors through continued high-level exchanges, people-to-people exchanges, cultural programs, student exchanges, and tourism.
On April 9th, President Simina, First Lady Simina and the delegation were welcomed to the Great Hall of the People in Beijing through an official welcoming ceremony, followed by a bilateral meeting between H.E. President Wesley W. Simina and H.E. President Xi JinPing. During the meeting President Simina acknowledged the many achievements that underpin the nearly 35 years of diplomatic relations between the FSM and China and expressed support to further deepen and continue the FSM-China comprehensive strategic partnership, defined by technical and economic cooperation and rooted in the principles of peaceful coexistence.
President Simina reaffirmed the FSM’s standing support of the One China policy and welcomed exploring other potential areas of cooperation such as through the Global Development Initiative to better facilitate the achievement of the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). President Simina expressed the nation’s appreciation for the FSM-China National Convention Center that is being constructed in Palikir and stated that the soon to be completed convention center demonstrates China’s genuine friendship to the people and government of the FSM.
President Simina also encouraged continued and deepened cooperation in fisheries, agriculture, health, tourism, aviation & maritime transportation, trade, investment and climate change within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative. Noting the new direct route via China Southern Airlines from Guangzhou to Port Morseby, President Simina reiterated that the offer for the FSM to serve as a strategic hub to facilitate trade and tourism still stands with the view that this would lead to further connections into the FSM and ultimately improve tourism and trade that would be mutually beneficial. President Simina also conveyed the nation’s appreciation for the assistance provided to the FSM government to assist with the ongoing state of emergency due to the severe drought affecting many islands in the FSM.
President Xi began by thanking President Simina for facilitating the passage of a resolution endorsing the One China policy that was passed in the FSM congress last year during his tenure as the Speaker of the FSM Congress. President Xi stated that these efforts helped preserve the friendship between the FSM and China. President Xi also stated his support to continue maintaining the longstanding relationships with Pacific Island countries such as the FSM, cooperation in climate action and development projects as mutually agreed. To this end, President Xi pledged the amount of 100 million RMB to the FSM to implement future projects as agreed based on the nation’s needs and priorities.
The high-level meeting ended on a positive note with both President’s extending standing invitations to each other to visit their respective countries. The meeting was followed by a signing ceremony where ten MOUs (Memorandum of Understanding) were signed between both governments through each sides’ respective head of department or agency of authority . The signed MOUs are as follows:
1.Memorandum Of Understanding on Jointly Accelerating the Formulations of the Cooperation Plan on the Belt and Road Initiative.
2. Memorandum of Understanding on Enhancing Development cooperation and promoting the Global Development Initiative.
3. Memorandum of Understanding on Exchange and Cooperation in the Field of Economic Development between the National Development and Reform Commission of the People’s Republic of China and the FSM.
4. Action Plan (2024-2026) between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People’s Republic of China and the Department of Resources and Development of the FSM.
5. Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation on Green and Low-Carbon Development between the National Development and Reform Commission of China and the FSM.
6. Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China and the FSM on Strengthening Cooperation under the Initiative on International Trade and Economic Cooperation Framework for Digital Economic and Green Development.
7. Memorandum of Understanding on Actively Promoting Infrastructure Project between China International Development Cooperation Agency of the People’s Republic of China and the Department of Transportation, Communications, and Infrastructure of the Federated States of Micronesia
8. Protocol between the Government of the People’s Republic of China and the Government of the Federated States of Micronesia Concerning Sending a Chinese Medical Team to Work in Micronesia.
9. Agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation between the Government of the Federated States of Micronesia and the People\’s Republic of China. (100,000,000 RMB)
10. Memorandum of Understanding between the Public Information Office and the China Media Group.
The following day President Simina met with H.E. Premier Li Qiang and H.E. Zhao Leji Chairman of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC) to further discuss implementation of the priorities that were raised in the bilateral meeting with President Xi and as outlined in the signed MOUs.
While in Beijing, President Simina took the opportunity to meet with AVIC International to discuss opportunities for cooperation in the aviation sector. On the last night in Beijing, President Simina and his delegation had the opportunity to have a dinner reception with FSM students that are studying in China. During the festive occasion, the students, who were from all over the FSM, performed a number of songs, both in Mandarin and in Chuukese in honor of their host country and the President’s home state The evening ended on a high note with the students singing along to a ukulele as they bid farewell to their President and First Lady.
President Simina and his delegation concluded the trip in Hong Kong to meet with representatives of Dr. Tan Siu Lin who serves as the Honorary Consul of the FSM in Hong Kong.
Upon completion of the state visit and subsequent meeting in Hong Kong, President Simina traveled directly from China to Athens, Greece to participate in the 2024 Our Oceans Conference.
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