A direct air route between China and Nauru could be launched as early as the first quarter of 2026, the chairman of Nauru Airlines, Charleston Dedenu Deiye, said on December 15 during a visit to Guangzhou as part of a broader China–Nauru friendship initiative.
The delegation spent December 14 and 15 in Guangzhou, the capital of China's southern Guangdong province, following earlier visits to Beijing, where members toured cultural sites and technology companies. The group is scheduled to leave China on December 17 after its final stop in Jiangmen, also in Guangdong, concluding a trip focused on exchanges across government, youth, and industry.
A delegation from Nauru poses for a photograph on December 15, 2025, at EHang, a local unmanned aerial vehicle company in Guangzhou, the capital of China's southern Guangdong province. (Photo: Liu Xiaodi/South)
China and Nauru restored diplomatic relations in 2024, ending a nearly two-decade hiatus, with both sides signaling interest in expanding cooperation in areas ranging from connectivity to people-to-people exchanges.
Deiye said preliminary discussions had begun with China's civil aviation authorities on establishing a direct air service. "We've started the conversations and are looking at finalizing an air services agreement," he told South. "The first quarter of 2026 is a possible timeline."
The delegation's itinerary in Guangzhou combined heritage and high-tech. Members visited the Guangzhou Urban Planning Exhibition Center, rode an autonomous bus, explored the Old Nanhai County Community, and toured landmarks such as the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall, Canton Tower, and Huacheng Square. A visit to EHang, a local unmanned aerial vehicle company, drew particular interest.
A delegation from Nauru visits EHang, a local unmanned aerial vehicle company in Guangzhou, the capital of China's southern Guangdong province, on December 15, 2025. (Photo: Liu Xiaodi/South)
"The range has been striking," Deiye said. "From historic areas to genuinely advanced technology. For a small island like Nauru, some of this aviation and drone technology could be very relevant, especially for maritime surveillance."
Younger members of the delegation echoed that sentiment. Helen Rokobuli, a volunteer with the Nauru National Youth Council, said the visit highlighted how the Chinese people have preserved their culture amid rapid modernization and how Chinese companies approach innovation as a way to tackle everyday problems.
"What impressed me was how technology is being used to address very concrete issues," she said, citing drone applications for firefighting in high-rise buildings and artificial intelligence in healthcare. "It's not innovation for its own sake."
Rokobuli told South that members of the delegation were drawn from various sectors of Nauru's public life, including industries, government departments, and youth organizations.
"It's a mix of perspectives," she said. "We're learning how China approaches development, and at the same time reflecting on how those ideas might work for Nauru."
Reporter | Liu Xiaodi
Editor | Yuan Zixiang, James Campion, Shen He
