BY CHARLES STENNETT
China has confirmed it will provide over SBD$88million of which 8-million will be for post disaster relief support to victims of Tropical Cyclone Maila and more than SBD$80 million towards the Rural Sustainable Development program (RSDP).
The announcement came during bilateral talks held in Beijing recently between the Solomon Islands’ Foreign Affairs Minister Rick Hounipwela and Chinese Foreign Minister H.E Wang Yi.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, (MFAET), Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also informed Foreign Minister Hounipwela that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region – Solomon Islands visa exemption arrangement has been given the green light and is nearing completion, giving more opportunity for increased people-to-people exchanges.
The Rural Sustainable Development program started in 2019 with the aim to boost social and economic development, improve livelihoods, and support inclusive growth across rural communities nationwide.
Funds under RSDP are earmarked for small community infrastructure projects, income-generating initiatives, and climate‑change–related interventions.
It is managed by the Ministry of Rural Development (MRD) with strict monitoring and reporting mechanisms in place to ensure transparency and accountability.
The RSDP is part of a broader wave of Chinese‑funded or -supported development programs across the Solomon Islands which over the past few years, has contributed to major infrastructure and social‑service enhancements nationwide.
The RSDP’s targeted interventions — from transportation and infrastructure to fisheries, agriculture, broadband connectivity, and social services — are designed to address long-standing rural challenges: limited access to markets, services, and opportunities.
By channeling resources directly into constituencies, the program aims to reduce poverty, bolster food security, and enable sustainable livelihoods.
Photo credit: Xinhua/Li Tao
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