BY DOUGLAS VAHIA
Acting Prime Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo received a courtesy visit from a delegation from the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC).
The visit led by Deputy Director General Zhao Hongtao of the CPC International Department to the Prime Minister’s Office on 24 July 2026 aims to strengthen political party exchanges between Solomon Islands and China.
According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, both leaders used the meeting to reaffirm their desire to share experiences and success stories in party development, while acknowledging differences in party systems, ideologies and practices between the two countries.
Mr Lilo noted that Solomon Islands operates a multi-party system, in contrast to China’s single-party system, but said this difference does not diminish what local parties could learn from the CPC’s governing record.
“What matters is that Solomon Islands parties can learn from the success of the CPC in governing and building China into one of the successful and strong nations in the world today,” Mr Lilo said.
He said he had read literature on China’s rise and admired the philosophies and strategies behind its transformation into a major world power.
Beyond party systems, Mr Lilo described Solomon Islands as a friend of China and said the country was keen to learn from China’s economic growth and its record of lifting millions of people out of poverty.
He reaffirmed Solomon Islands’ respect for the One China Principle and said China’s territorial integrity must be upheld.
Mr Zhao shared CPC’s experiences and successes and highlighted the Party’s willingness to support party development in Solomon Islands. He acknowledged the different political contexts of both countries and reaffirmed the CPC’s respect for Solomon Islands’ multi-party system.
Mr Zhao attributed CPC’s success to long-term political stability and its role in transforming China from an impoverished agrarian society into the world’s second-largest economy.
“Our vision is to share our experience and success to help others succeed in their aspirations and to contribute towards building a harmonious world for everyone,” Mr Zhao said.
Photo credit: PMO
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