Pacific Forum leader: China's role welcomed

China is playing a more important role in the Pacific area, which is welcomed by the Pacific states, said the Secretary General of Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) on Monday in Apia, Samoa.

Greg Urwin told Xinhua that talks between member states of the Forum and its dialogue partner China was "very productive."

The two-day Post Forum Dialogue of 35th PIF started here on Monday.

Urwin said China is a very good partner of the Forum and both sides have outlined a whole range of areas of possible cooperation.

In February 1988, the Chinese Ambassador to Fiji was invited by the South Pacific Forum, predecessor of the PIF, to attend its partner dialogue held in Suva, Fiji. China sent a delegation the next year to attend the Post-Forum Dialogue meetings, thereafter the ties between the two sides have been strengthened.

Urwin said that "it is agreed that China is playing a much more important role in the region, and we think it is giving more attention to the region."

"We welcome that and we'd like to work very cooperatively (with China), and I'm very optimistic about that," he said.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhou Wenzhong said after Monday's Post Forum Dialogue that "China values and appreciates its relations with the Pacific states."

He noted it is the intention of the Chinese side to follow closely and take an active part in the regional cooperation process which is in the interest of the regional stability and common prosperity.

Source: Xinhua