Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa met with Qian Bo, China's Special Envoy for Pacific Islands Affairs.
He is accompanied by First Secretary Jiang Yang, Third Secretary Yin Xiao and Interpreter/ Attaché Liu Chengyin.
Qian is in Samoa to discuss further promoting and strengthening the bilateral ties between the People’s Republic of China and Samoa.
His appointment as the first special envoy of the Chinese government on Pacific Islands affairs was announced by foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin announced in February.
Wang said Beijing hoped Qian could enhance exchanges and cooperation between China and Pacific Island nations and work to promote the development of their comprehensive strategic partnership.
The new post is an upgrade from Beijing’s special envoy to the China-Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Dialogue – a position that has existed since the 2000s.
The PIF is a regional organisation that includes Pacific Island nations as well as Australia and New Zealand.
Qian, as a representative of the entire government, will work as a coordinator across different ministries and departments of the State Council, enabling him to strengthen collaboration to address more complex and substantial issues, said Wang Yiwei, an international relations professor at Renmin University in Beijing.
“It reflects the increased importance that the Chinese government attaches to the affairs of this region,” Wang said.
Qian was previously China’s Ambassador to Fiji.
Photo Samoa Govt Press