By EDDIE OSIFELO
THE signing of a sister relationship between cities of Jiangmen and Honiara was the highlight of the visit by the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Solomon Islands recently.
Chinese Ambassador to country, Li Ming stated this when he handed over 100 solar street lights to Honiara City Council on Tuesday.
Ming said a few weeks ago, the historical visit by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi yielded additional fruitful achievements to the people of both China and Solomon Islands.
He said during the visit, a total of 9 bilateral cooperation documents on visa waiver, health, civil aviation and tariff-exemptions have been signed.
“The highlight was the establishment of a sister-relationship between Jiangmen and Honiara cities, the first sister cities between our two countries.
“It has received warm welcome in China, especially in Jiangmen city, and will definitely set up a role model for other provinces and cities,” he said.
Furthermore, Jiangmen has enjoyed a time-honoured friendship with both Solomon Islands and Honiara city.
“According to history, one of the first Chinese nationals who arrived in the Solomon Islands in early 1920s was from the Taishan county of Jiangmen city.
“His family has lived in Honiara for four generations,” Ming said.
“Besides the historical connections, the two and half years after China and Solomon Islands entered into diplomatic relations also witnessed people to people exchanges between the two cities.
“I am robustly confident that, with a highly-complementary economic structure between Jiangmen and Honiara, and active participation by Jiangmen communities in Honiara, there will be more areas and new impetus for Jiangmen and Honiara cooperation,” he said.
