Help for Pacific islands to continue

China said on Tuesday it will continue developing friendly cooperation with Pacific island countries and make greater contributions to their economic and social development and peace.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying made the remark after the Sydney Morning Herald reported on Monday that the United States will talk with Australia next week about countering China’s “pernicious meddling” in small countries of the South Pacific.

The foreign and defense ministers from Australia and the United States will meet for the AustraliaUnited States Ministerial Consultations in California on Monday and Tuesday.

Speaking at a daily news conference in Beijing, Hua said, “I don’t know if countering the so-called pernicious meddling is really a topic of discussion for the consultations or it’s just guesswork by the media.”

Hua mentioned “the malicious hype made some time ago by individual media outlets over ties between China and Pacific island countries”, and how leaders and mainstream media outlets of the Pacific island countries clarified the facts and revealed the truth.

“They said that unlike some countries, China is good at listening to the true feelings of people in the Pacific island countries and lends the most needed support based on full respect for the will of governments and people of these countries and full consideration of these countries’ needs,” the spokeswoman said.

Hua cited the recent visit by the Chinese Navy’s hospital ship Peace Ark to Papua New Guinea as an example of how China assists Pacific island countries in improving their people’s well-being.

The ship arrived at Port Moresby on July 11 for an eight-day visit and to provide humanitarian medical service, Xinhua reported.

According to Hua, the free medical service covered more than 4,000 people, and Papua New Guinean Prime Minister Peter O’Neill boarded the ship and praised the visit for further deepening bilateral ties.

The ship will also visit Vanuatu, Fiji and Tonga.