China is ready to conduct more trilateral cooperation with countries like Australia and New Zealand regarding Pacific Island countries, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday.

Wang made the remarks during a meeting with Samoan Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa in Apia, the capital of Samoa.

Cooperation between China and developing countries or Pacific Island countries does not target any third party, nor does China seek any exclusive rights, Wang said.

"We don't intend to compete with anyone, and we have always opposed zero-sum games," he said.

Wang also met the same day with Tuimaleali'ifano Va'aletoa Sualauvi II, head of state of Samoa.

The Chinese foreign minister arrived in the country following a visit to Kiribati and before that the Solomon Islands. He will head to Fiji on the next stop of his 10-day trip to the region.

China-Samoa ties

During the talks with Wang, the Samoan prime minister hailed what has been achieved in cooperation between Samoa and China.

Samoa, Fiame said, will continue to advance the mutually beneficial partnership between the two countries featuring mutual respect and mutual trust.

Fiame said her country is committed to the one-China policy, and sticks to the non-interference principle over the Taiwan question.

On climate change, Wang said China will continue to help small island countries improve their capacity to tackle it.

Fiame said climate change had become an important field of cooperation between Pacific Island countries and China.

In April 2022, the China-Pacific Island Countries Climate Change Cooperation Center was officially launched in China's Shandong Province.

Following the talks, the two ministers attended a signing ceremony related to bilateral economic technology and cultural cooperation.

(Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi holds talks with Samoan Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa in Apia, Samoa, May 28, 2022. /CMG)