Zhang Zhili, Vice Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, met separately with Ian Wilson, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Forestry and Biosecurity of Vanuatu, and Rick Mahe, Acting Minister of Fisheries, Ocean and Maritime Affairs of Vanuatu, in Port Vila on September 12. They exchanged views on enhancing China–Vanuatu cooperation in agriculture and fisheries.
In his meeting with Minister Wilson, Vice Minister Zhang noted that China has always upheld the “Four Respects” policy put forth by President Xi Jinping when developing relations with Pacific Island countries. Under the strategic guidance of the leaders of both countries, bilateral agricultural cooperation has yielded remarkable results. China seeks to work with Vanuatu to explore the establishment of a bilateral agricultural mechanism and further strengthen exchange and cooperation in areas such as agricultural technology training, food security, sustainable agricultural production, and poverty reduction. Minister Wilson expressed his appreciation for China’s strong support for Vanuatu’s agricultural sector. He said Vanuatu looks forward to China’s continued assistance in improving its grain production and agro-product processing capacity, to further advance the country’s agricultural development.
In his meeting with Acting Minister Mahe, Vice Minister Zhang said China supports Chinese companies, including those in the fisheries sector, in expanding investment in Vanuatu and engaging in mutually beneficial cooperation. China hopes that Vanuatu will provide a sound business environment and stable investment policies to ensure the safe operation of Chinese companies and the security of their staff in the country. He also suggested that the two countries make full use of the bilateral fisheries cooperation mechanism to strengthen policy coordination and information sharing, and to deepen cooperation in fisheries science and technology as well as economic and trade cooperation. Acting Minister Mahe strongly agreed on the importance of the fisheries cooperation mechanism between Vanuatu and China and suggested that the two countries carry out in-depth cooperation under this framework in areas such as fisheries resource surveys and monitoring, maritime safety, and increasing the value added of aquatic products.
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