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March 10, 2023   fmprc.gov.cn
China and PICs: Cooperation in Ocean Affairs, Disaster Prevention and Climate Change

Climate Change;Ocean Affairs;Disaster Prevention;PICs

Intro: China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued Cooperation Between China and Pacific Island Countries in 2022. The document demonstrates cooperations between China and Pacific Island Countries (PICs) in trade, investment, ocean affairs, environmental protection, disaster prevention and mitigation, poverty alleviation, health care, education, tourism, culture, sports. This policy content is excerpted from chapter IV of this factsheet.

Full Text: Cooperation Between China and Pacific Island Countries

Ocean Affairs and Environmental Protection

In 2017, China hosted the China-Small Island States Ocean-related Ministerial Round Table with the theme of “Blue Economy and Ecological Islands”. Senior representatives from Samoa, Fiji, Vanuatu and Niue attended and addressed the meeting, which adopted and published the Pingtan Declaration.

In light of the needs of PICs, China has shared its environmental protection experience and helped PICs improve environmental management capacity. In recent years, China has hosted multiple seminars for PIC officials, including on environmental protection and management, water pollution treatment, and water resource protection.

Climate Change

China takes PICs’ special conditions and concerns on climate change very seriously, and has been committed to helping them strengthen capacity to tackle climate change.

In April 2022, the China-Pacific Island Countries Climate Change Cooperation Center was officially launched in Shandong Province of China.

Since 2019, China has held three South-South cooperation training sessions for PICs under the theme of “Tackling Climate Change for Green and Low-carbon Development”. China has also provided multiple batches of supplies to PICs to tackle climate change.

China has attached importance to strengthening renewable energy cooperation with PICs, and supported Chinese enterprises in joining the construction of hydro-power stations in countries such as PNG and Fiji.

Disaster Prevention and Mitigation

Since 2006, China has carried out earthquake mitigation cooperation with PICs. It has helped countries such as Samoa, Vanuatu and Fiji to build seismic networks and enhance earthquake monitoring capacity.

In December 2021, the China-Pacific Island Countries Reserve for Emergency Supplies was officially launched in Guangdong Province of China.

China provided immediate humanitarian aids when PICs were hit by natural disasters. In January 2022, a large-scale volcanic eruption struck Tonga, which triggered disasters such as tsunami and ash fallout. The Chinese government was highly concerned and acted immediately, making China the first country in the world to provide assistance to Tonga.