BY CHARLES STENNETT
Senior officials of Rennell and Bellona Province in Solomon Islands and Hainan Province in China have been tasked to produce a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the leaders’ endorsement to advance their sister relationship following a meeting held last week in Haikou, Hainan’s capital city.
In a meeting last week between the Premier of Rennell and Bellona Province Eric Saueha and the Vice Governor of Hainan province, Ms. Xie Jing, the two leaders exchanged views and proposed common areas for mutual cooperation.
The areas highlighted in the discussions for mutual cooperation include fisheries, tourism, agriculture, green energy and infrastructure, and people to people and cultural exchanges.
The meeting was a follow-up after the exchange of Letter of Intent signed in May 2025 between the two provinces to forge a sister-province relation.
In her remarks, the Vice Governor of Hainan indicated her province’s readiness to invite young students from Rennell and Bellona province to study in Hainan under various universities scholarship, a proposal welcomed by Premier Saueha, as an immediate benefit for his province.
Premier Saueha also took the opportunity to express his province’s alignment with the country’s One-China Principle as the cornerstone of China-Solomon Islands diplomatic relation.
He reaffirmed Rennell Bellona Province’s full support of this principle and commitment to foster cooperation grounded in mutual respect and shared values.
The Premier was accompanied by two senior provincial executive members, Jorge Puia, Carlvyn Teno, and the province’s Deputy Secretary, Aubrey Saueha.
Solomon Islands Ambassador to China, Barrett Salato also attended the meeting.
Photo: Supplied
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