Honorable Minister Willie Jimmy
Distinguished colleagues from the diplomatic corps,
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Good morning! It is a pleasure to attend today's NTDC meeting. The Chinese government has consistently attached great importance to strengthening cooperation with Pacific Island countries. At the opening ceremony of the 2nd China-Pacific Island Countries Economic Development and Cooperation Forum held in Guangzhou on November 8 last year, Vice Premier of the State Council of China, Wang Yang, on behalf of the Chinese government, announced seven measures to further support the economic and social development of Pacific Island countries, including:
First, supporting the construction of major projects in island countries. China will provide $1 billion in concessional loans to island countries with which it has diplomatic relations, to be used for the construction of major productive projects, infrastructure, and livelihood projects. The China Development Bank will establish a $1 billion special loan to support infrastructure construction in island countries. Second, supporting island countries in expanding exports to China. Third, supporting human resource development in island countries. Fourth, supporting island countries in exploring the Chinese tourism market. Fifth, supporting the development of medical and health services in island countries. Sixth, supporting the development of agricultural production in island countries. Seventh, supporting island countries in environmental protection and disaster prevention and mitigation.
As a concrete implementation of the above seven measures, the Chinese government will focus on strengthening cooperation with Vanuatu in the following four areas to better promote Vanuatu's economic and social development.
First is infrastructure construction. Last December, on behalf of the Chinese government, I signed a concessional loan agreement with Prime Minister Carcasses for the road renovation projects on Tanna Island and Malakula Island, with a total amount of 350 million RMB. The inspection teams sent by the Chinese government completed the feasibility study for the Malapoa College expansion project in August and November, respectively, and the preliminary inspection for the 2017 Pacific Mini Games stadium construction project. Shanghai Construction Group is also exploring the use of Chinese government concessional loans to implement the Luganville International Wharf renovation and expansion project on Santo Island. China Railway No. 5 Engineering Group is exploring the use of Chinese government concessional loans to implement the southern road project on Malakula Island. The Chinese government and enterprises will work closely with the Vanuatu government and the private sector to continue helping with the construction and upgrading of Vanuatu's infrastructure.
Second is trade and investment. We are actively promoting the implementation of zero-tariff treatment for 95% of Vanuatu's products exported to China. Due to the lack of competitive export products in Vanuatu, the trade imbalance between China and Vanuatu remains quite serious. According to Chinese customs statistics, in 2013, Vanuatu's imports from China amounted to $380 million, while exports to China were only $2.24 million. Vanuatu is rich in natural resources; Shefa Province has abundant tourism resources, Sanma Province has rich agricultural, livestock, and tourism resources, Malampa Province has rich marine and fishery resources, and Tafea Province has rich tourism and agricultural resources. The main reason for weak exports is insufficient investment and underdeveloped processing and manufacturing industries. It is hoped that the Vanuatu government will formulate more favorable foreign investment policies to attract more foreign capital and vigorously develop agriculture, fisheries, livestock, and processing and manufacturing industries to produce more internationally competitive export products.
Third is tourism. China has become the world's largest outbound tourism consumer. In 2013, international tourism expenditure reached $102 billion, and Chinese citizens made over 90 million outbound trips, with the number expected to exceed 100 million in 2014. Many Chinese tourists are very eager to visit Vanuatu's beautiful landscapes, such as Mount Yasur on Tanna Island, and its unique Melanesian culture. Some Chinese travel agencies hope to open tourism routes to Vanuatu. Earlier this month, when the China Comfort Travel Group visited Vanuatu, they put forward some pertinent suggestions for attracting more tourists to Vanuatu, including: improving transportation conditions and increasing more flights to Vanuatu from Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji; improving tourism infrastructure, especially hotel and road conditions on Tanna Island; enriching the tourism product market; and improving medical conditions in Port Vila, Santo Island, and Tanna Island to relieve tourists' concerns.
Fourth is human resource training. Since the first China-Pacific Island Countries Economic Development and Cooperation Forum was held in 2006, more than 400 Vanuatu government officials and technical personnel have traveled to China for training and study tours, playing a major role in promoting Vanuatu's economic and social development and strengthening cooperation between China and Vanuatu in various fields. Relevant Chinese departments will continue to hold a series of seminars and technical training courses for Vanuatu government officials and technical personnel this year, covering fields such as agriculture, public administration, communications, WTO rules, media, geology, human resource management, economic system reform, comprehensive urban planning, financial management, customs, and new energy. Considering Vanuatu's linguistic environment, we will also organize French-speaking officials to go to China for training this year. We hope the Vanuatu government will continue to support this work, and we especially welcome more female officials to participate.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Vanuatu has a unique geographical location and rich resources, with great potential for development. I believe that with the joint efforts of the Vanuatu government and all sectors of society, and with the strong support of donor countries including China, Vanuatu will surely be able to accelerate its development and its people will lead a happier life.
Thank you all!