"The economic cooperation between China and Pacific Island countries makes the bilateral relations sustainable and developing," said Lucy Niu, executive director of Research Center for Pacific Studies in Beijing Foreign Studies University, "Over the past 20 years, more and more Chinese enterprises had investments in Pacific Island countries and imported their products to Chinese market."
Lucy Niu is the former secretary general of International Eco-tech Cooperation Committee, China National Committee for Pacific Economic Cooperation. She has been working on people-to-people exchange, economic and technological cooperation between China and Pacific Island countries for decades.
Chinese aid project increased Tongans' income
In 2001, Lucy Niu was assigned to Tonga to manage the project of upgrading and expanding the International Dateline Hotel as King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV planned to develop local tourism.
According to the plan, a new wing would be built, as well as 30 rooms and a convention centre.
When I was in Tonga during 2001 to 2008, I was impressed by their rich culture，including the music and handicrafts, said Lucy Niu.
However, she found that some local Tongans were reluctant to cooperate with China at the beginning as they deemed China just came for the majority share of local business.
"Give us 3 years, then we will let you see," Lucy Niu published an article on the local paper and promised to contribute to Tonga's tourism development.
3 years later, a brand new hotel was reopened to the tourists from all over the world. With its new decoration and excellent service, more and more visitors chose the hotel for their holiday, and the local residents enjoyed more income than before.
"From then on, Tongans believe that bringing in Chinese management and funds is good for their national tourism and even their livelihood," said Lucy Niu.
According to Chinese Foreign Ministry, from 1992 to 2021, the total volume of trade between China and PICs having diplomatic relations with China has increased from 153 million USD to 5.3 billion USD. Before the pandemic, nearly 100,000 tourists traveled to the South Pacific region every year. Statistics also shows that an ever increasing number of enterprises from PICs participated in China International Import Expo for business cooperation with China.
Especially in recent years, relations between China and PICs have flourished, and exchanges and cooperation have been expanding in more than 20 areas, including trade, investment, ocean affairs, environmental protection, disaster preparedness and mitigation, poverty alleviation and health. From Lucy Niu's perspective, China-Pacific Islands economic cooperation enhances local sustainability.
Lucy Niu suggested that the China-PICs could seize more opportunities through a cooperation pattern where China imports ingredients from PICs, and then manufactures and sells them in the Chinese market. "Chinese entrepreneurs could go to PICs and import their local agricultural products, such as south Pacific cocoa beans, coffee beans or raw material of medical products such as Kava."
People-to-people exchanges break Western media monopoly
According to Lucy Niu, PICs people's little knowledge about China is mainly from the local TV channels.
In Lucy's opinions, this situation makes it hard for PICs people to get a whole picture of China. Sometimes it even caused misunderstandings since they learn Chinese culture from the Western media, "Some of them still hold the impression of a poor and underdeveloped China."
Lucy Niu said the people-to-people exchanges have contributed to improved communication between China and PICs. "They started approaching Chinese culture as Chinese people came to PICs, and they asked me interesting questions," Lucy Niu elaborated that the elder generation there were interested in the Chinese Confucius philosophy, Chairman Mao and his philosophy while the younger generation mostly talked about Chinese fashion, "they were so interested in Chinese clothes materials, designs, patterns and also some movies, music."
Before the pandemic, Lucy Niu also helped to organize exchange activities in China for PICs enterprises. "They enjoyed their trip to China and they were impressed by China's modernization, " said Lucy Niu, "They even played the Ukulele during the trip to express their gratitude."
Working as the secretary general of International Eco-tech Cooperation Committee, China National Committee for Pacific Economic Cooperation from 2009 to 2017, Lucy Niu also participated in organizing people-to-people exchanges between China and PICs.
"We organize Chinese enterprises to visit Pacific Island countries every year to carry out business cooperation and partnering, which play a pragmatic role in understanding each other's market, business model and specific project matching between enterprises of the two sides," said Lucy Niu, "I miss our friends from Pacific Island countries and look forward to gathering with them after the pandemic."
Author丨Nina, Lydia
Video丨Zoey, Ou Xiaoming
Poster designer丨Mia
Editors丨Wing, Keane, Steven, Jasmine, Jerry
