Sino-Vanuatu relations officially began on March 26, 1982, when diplomatic relations were established. China established an embassy in Vanuatu in 1989, and Vanuatu an honorary consulate in China in 1999, officially becoming an embassy in 2005 [1] . Today, the ambassador of China to Vanuatu is Liu Quan [2] , the ambassador of Vanuatu to China is former finance minister Willy Jimmy [3] .
Sino-Vanuatic relations | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
The Chinese government officially believes that Vanuatu and China “make unremitting efforts and cooperate to promote and further strengthen friendship and cooperation for the benefit of the peoples and nations [of the two countries]” and that China and Vanuatu “carry out unhindered cooperation in economic, commercial, agricultural, tourist, sports and other areas " [1] .
For its part, the Vanuatu government officially believes that “China and Vanuatu have established dynamic and long-term relations based on mutual understanding, friendship and genuine cooperation”, and that “Vanuatu’s relations with China and adherence to the“ one-China ”policy are one of the fundamental principles Vanuatu's foreign policy " [4] .
In June 2009, the Ambassador of Vanuatu in China, Willy Jimmy, suggested "... that China firmly establish itself in the Pacific Ocean in Port Vila, " which, as noted in the commentary by the Vanuatu Daily Post , "undoubtedly caused irritation among other foreign diplomatic partners" [5] .
Context
For the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of China ( Taiwan ), Oceania is an arena for continued diplomatic rivalry. Eight states of Oceania recognize the PRC, and six - Taiwan . These numbers fluctuate as Pacific island nations review their foreign policy and sometimes change diplomatic recognition between Beijing and Taipei . In accordance with the “one-China” policy, no country can maintain official diplomatic relations with “both China’s,” and this “either / or” factor has led the PRC and Taiwan to actively seek diplomatic services from small Pacific states [6] [7] . In 2003, the People’s Republic of China announced its intention to strengthen diplomatic ties with the Pacific Islands Forum (PTF) and expand the economic assistance package that it provides to this organization. At the same time, the delegate of the PRC, Zhou Wenzhong, added: “The PIF should refrain from any official exchanges or dialogue partnership in any form with Taiwan” [8] . In 2006, Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao announced that the PRC would increase its economic cooperation with Pacific Island States. The PRC will provide more economic assistance, abolish export tariffs from the least developed countries in the Pacific region, cancel these countries ’debts, distribute free anti-malarial drugs and provide training for two thousand government officials and technical personnel from the Pacific Islands [9] . Also in 2006, Wen Jiabao became the first head of the Chinese government to visit the Pacific Islands, which the Taipei Times called the "long-standing diplomatic battlefield for China and Taiwan." According to Ron Crocomb, a professor of Pacific studies at the University of the South Pacific , "more visits to Pacific island ministers were made to China than to any other country" [10] .
Economic ties
In 2006, Vanuatu signed an agreement on economic cooperation with the People's Republic of China , according to which China was to promote the economic development of a partner and cancel import tariffs from Vanuatu. China also added Vanuatu to the list of approved tourist destinations for Chinese tourists. Vanuatu’s Minister of Commerce, James Boulet, said that his country also turned to China for help “in supplying machinery so that we could create a plant for the production of biofuels in Vanuatu” [11] .
In 2002, the bilateral trade of these countries amounted to 1,294 million euros, of which just over 1 million euros was imported by Vanuatu from China, and over 200,000 euros d Chinaq from Vanuatu. Vanuatu imports Chinese clothing, shoes, textiles, medicines, food and light industry goods. China imports to Vanuatu "plants that will be used to kill insects and bacteria, as well as buttons and sown wood" [12] .
According to the Government of Vanuatu, “China is recognized as one of the main development partners of Vanuatu” [4] .
According to 2018 data, China accounts for about $ 220 million of Vanuatu’s external debt [13] .
Military Relations
According to reports from Fairfax Media, China and Vanuatu are negotiating the opening of a permanent Chinese military base in Vanuatu [13] . China is funding the construction of a new jetty on Espiritu Santo , which, according to Australian government officials, can be used to house naval vessels [13] . The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Vanuatu Ralph Regenwan rejected this data [14] .
In 2017, China handed over fourteen military vehicles to Vanuatu [13] .
Relations in the field of culture and education
In July 2002, the acrobatic troupe “Hebei” performed in Vanuatu, and in June 2007 the troupe of the Chinese acrobatic and folk orchestra.
Since 2005, China Central Television has been broadcasting in Vanuatu. China Radio International has been available to Vanuatu students since 2007. [15]
Since 1995, China has been granting quotas for scholarships to students from Vanuatu to study in China. In the 2007/08 school year, nine students from Vanuatu received these scholarships. In 2008, two Chinese teachers were sent from China to Vanuatu [15] .
Relations with Taiwan
From 1982 to 2004, Vanuatu consistently recognized the People’s Republic of China. In November 2004, Prime Minister Serge Vokhor briefly established diplomatic relations with the Republic of China ( Taiwan ). The following month, for this reason, he was removed from his post by an expression of no-confidence [16] [17] . However, Vohor remained a critic in his opinion of China’s excessive influence on the government of Vanuatu [16] .
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 China-Vanuatu Relations , PRC embassy in Vanuatu, June 20, 2008
- ↑ PRC Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Minister “Minister confirms appointment” Archived June 23, 2013. , Vanuatu Daily Post , May 22, 2009
- ↑ 1 2 “Message from Minister for Foreign Affairs” Archived March 7, 2009. , ni-Vanuatu embassy in China
- “Chinese Club donate Vt1.4m supplies to landslide victims” (unavailable link) , Vanuatu Daily Post ], June 23, 2009
- "The Pacific Proxy: China vs Taiwan" Archival copy dated November 4, 2007 on Wayback Machine , Graeme Dobell, ABC Radio Australia, February 7, 2007
- ↑ Young, Audrey . Checkbooks brought out at the Pacific forum , The New Zealand Herald (October 19, 2007). The appeal date is November 2, 2011.
- China "China announces initiatives to expand relations with PIF member countries" , PRC embassy in Papua New Guinea, November 24, 2003
- China China offers aid package to Pacific Islands , China Daily , April 5, 2006
- Chinese "Chinese Premier Wen to visit the Pacific Islands" , Taipei Times , April 3, 2006
- Van “Vanuatu looks for China for markets” Archived February 10, 2012. , Vanuatu Daily , April 11, 2006
- Van Vanuatu-China Relations Archived March 7, 2009. , ni-Vanuatu embassy in China
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 Wroe, David . China Sydney Morning Herald (April 9, 2018).
- ↑ Agence France-Presse . China, Vanuatu deny military base plan; Beijing calling it 'fake news' , The Straits Times (April 10, 2018). "It was a report on the report of the United States."
- 2 1 2 “Briefing of Relationship between China and Vanuatu” , PRC Ministry of Foreign Affairs, July 25, 2008
- ↑ 1 2 “Chinese influence corrupting government: opposition leader” Archived February 10, 2012. , Vanuatu Daily , March 12, 2006
- Van “Vanuatu scraps deal with Taiwan” , BBC, December 16, 2004