Cook Islands and China’s Guangdong province strengthened ties through equipment donations and discussions on future collaboration in areas like agriculture, fisheries and cultural exchange.

Cook Islands Government has strengthened its bilateral relationship with the Chinese city of Zhuhai and the Guangdong Provisional People’s Congress through the donation of various safety equipment including solar panels for the emergency shelters on the island.

A handover ceremony to receive the equipment, which will be allocated to different ministries, was held at the Cabinet office on Wednesday.

Deputy Prime Minister Albert Nicholas welcomed Liu Yahong, vice chairwoman of the standing committee of Guangdong Province People’s Congress and Lin Wu, vice chairman of Zhuhai Municipal Government, and their delegations

Nicholas highlighted that the Cook Islands has enjoyed a long-standing diplomatic relationship with the People’s Republic of China, adding this month marked the 17^th anniversary of their formal relationship.

He recalled that during these years, there have been frequent exchanges, visits, and interactions between Guangdong and Cook Islands but having representatives of the provisional congress, from the most popular Chinese province, present on the island is special.

“Over the past nine years, the Cook Islands have been engaged in a special relationship with the Zhuhai Municipal which has been of great benefit to us (and) most recently exemplified by the Zhuhai kind assistance with the installation of audio and TV equipment for last year’s Pacific Islands Forum Meeting in November in addition to other donations at the time,” Nicholas said.

“Our sister-city relationship with Zhuhai embodies friendship, cooperation and understanding.

“The People of Zhuhai and the Cook Islands are both coastal inhabitants and as a result, we have much more in common.

“Together we can build resilience among our communities so that we may each preserve our own culture, our environment, our economy, and our way of life.”

The equipment gifted include solar panels and LED lights for cyclone and community shelters, spare parts for chainsaws which were donated previously, other products for the Ministry of Cultural Development, and teaching supplies for the Confucius Centre at the University of the South Pacific Cook Islands Campus.

Through bilateral cooperation with China over the years, several Chinese grants and concessional loan facilities were made available to the Cook Islands which resulted in some key public infrastructure built, including the Ministry of Justice building, police headquarters, Ministry of Education building, National Sports Arena in Nikao, and the Apii Nikao School rebuild.

There were also various successful exchanges between Zhuhai and the Cook Islands ministries of Marine Resources, the Ministry of Health, Education, Cultural Development, Business Trade and Investment Board, the Aitutaki Islands Government and the Office of the Prime Minister.

Aitutaki Island Government officials met with the Chinese delegation on Tuesday to look at establishing a joint relationship dialogue specifically in the areas of marine fisheries, agriculture and energy. SUPPLIED/24071720

Yahong emphasised China’s ongoing support for the Cook Islands and promised further collaboration on future cooperation initiatives.

“Guangdong is willing to further strengthen practical exchanges and cooperations with the Cook Islands in agriculture, fisheries, infrastructure, trade, culture and education to promote comprehensive advantages and achieve win-win developments,” she said.

“On the basis of mutual respect and equality, Guangdong is ready to work with the Cook Islands to deepen mutual beneficial exchanges and cooperations to deliver more benefits for people in the Cook Islands who conquers cooperation achievement.”

DPM Nicholas said: “Thanks for joining us as we commemorate your generous donation of equipment for the Ministry of Cultural Development, the Office of the Prime Minister, Emergency Management Cook Islands as well as the finalisation of an agreement with the Aitutaki Islands government.”

In a statement, the Aitutaki Island Government said they met with the Chinese delegation on Tuesday to look at establishing, in the spirit of friendship and co-operation, a joint relationship dialogue specifically in the areas of marine fisheries, agriculture and energy.

Aitutaki mayor Tekura Bishop remarked that this was an opportune time to renew friendships especially with Zhuhai who already has a memorandum of understanding with the Aitutaki Island Government.

He welcomed the presence of the high-level delegation from Guangdong province who acknowledged the opportunity to deepen further relationship ties with the Cook Islands but more specifically with Aitutaki regarding fisheries, agriculture and energy initiatives.

Yahong said the visit was merely a “meet and greet opportunity amongst friends” with a view to connecting their city and the island of Aitutaki in areas of mutual interest.

“This visit was primarily to look at cementing the ongoing relationship between our two cities and to look at ways of where we can help each other promote and enhance the friendly relationships that already exists to another level,” she said.

Bishop acknowledged that Aitutaki still faced a number of challenges involving tourism, economic development initiatives, sustainable growth and prosperity, climate change, rising sea levels, global warming and outward migration.

He also reminded the delegation that they do have similarities in terms of customs, traditions and culture.

An exchange of gifts was held followed by light lunch. The delegation then proceeded on site visits to Ministry of Marine Resources, agriculture farms and the Ministry of Energy followed by a tour of Aitutaki’s pristine and beautiful lagoon.

The visit coincided with the proposed signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Aitutaki Island Government and the Rarotonga-based agriculture co-op Kai Natura Taokotai’anga KNT. The group includes a majority of the growers from Aitutaki who have combined and committed to revitalising the island’s agriculture sector.

“This is a first for Aitutaki and has renewed interest within the sector which has been dormant for some years due to lack of resources, management issues and lack of commitment from national government in supporting Aitutaki’s fledgling agriculture industry,” the statement said.

“Aitutaki has been selected initially as the pilot project which also includes Atiu at some stage with reviving the agriculture sector that will be coordinated through the KNT Co-op and linked to potential external market outlets in Rarotonga, the Pa Enua and New Zealand.”