Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka met with the leader of the People’s Republic of China, President Xi Jinping on the climax of the 30th Session of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation in San Francisco today.
The meeting was an inaugural one between the two leaders.
Rabuka congratulated President Xi on his recent election and said this demonstrated the unwavering confidence and support of the Chinese people in their visionary leader.
Key deliberations during the meeting centred around China’s pivotal global development initiatives, with a specific focus on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
The BRI, designed to foster economic connectivity, trade, and cultural exchange, particularly through infrastructure development resonates with Fiji’s own developmental objectives, as highlighted by Prime Minister Rabuka.
Rabuka said the BRI aligned with Fiji’s agenda, emphasizing the shared goals of policy coordination, infrastructure connectivity, trade facilitation, financial integration, and the unification of people from small island states like Fiji.
In addition to endorsing the Belt and Road Initiative, Rabuka has expressed Fiji’s steadfast support for China’s Global Civilisation Initiative, initiated in 2022.
He commended the initiative’s potential to usher in a new era of modernisation and development, granting nations control over their futures.
In the face of global uncertainties and geopolitical pressures, the Prime Minister expressed Fiji’s solidarity with China’s Global Security Initiative (GSI), aimed at constructing a diplomatic and security architecture through multilateral treaties, alliances, and institutions.
In response, President Xi conveyed his sincere appreciation for the historic meeting, affirming China’s support for Fiji’s development initiatives and expressing interest in funding major capital projects.
The Chinese Leader has also extended an invitation to the Prime Minister to visit China, which signals a continued strengthening of diplomatic ties between the two nations.
