Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday hailed the bilateral relations between China and the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), a Western Pacific Island country.

Over the past 30-plus years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the two countries have respected and supported each other and attained fruitful results out of cooperation in various fields, he said.

Wang made the remarks during a virtual meeting with John Haglelgam, a former president of the FSM and president of the Micronesia-China Friendship Association (MCFA), while the Chinese minister was on a visit to Papua New Guinea.

During a separate virtual meeting with Kandhi Elieisar, secretary of foreign affairs of the FSM, on Thursday, Wang said the two countries should continue to expand cooperation in agriculture and fisheries, infrastructure, trade and investment, tourism and other fields.

China and the FSM established diplomatic relations in 1989 when Haglelgam was the country's president. The two countries lifted their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership featuring mutual respect and mutual development in 2018.

Friendship between China and the FSM

Haglelgam called China a most sincere development partner of the FSM, adding that China's assistance to the country has been free from any political strings and has greatly helped better its people's livelihood, improve its governance and promote its sustainable development.

He also spoke highly of China's adherence to multilateralism, fairness and justice, support of developing countries in safeguarding their legitimate rights and interests and leading role in international affairs.

Haglelgam said he agrees with the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and the Global Development Initiative and stands ready to work with the Chinese side to build a community with a shared future for humanity.

Haglelgam founded the MCFA, a non-governmental and non-profit organization that aims to promote friendship, understanding and goodwill between the peoples of the FSM and China, in 2010.

During their virtual talks, Wang praised Haglelgam's contribution to the relations between the two countries and said the Chinese side will continue to support the MCFA in opening up a brighter future for the relations.

'Not a military presence'

During the talks with Elieisar, Wang reiterated that China prioritizes economic development and cares about improving people's livelihoods when dealing with the Pacific island countries (PICs).

China's nearly half-century of engagement with the PICs proves that China's engagement has not affected and will not affect regional security and stability, he said. "What we do in the PICs is to build roads and bridges, not to increase our military presence."

Wang said China will continue to work with developing countries, including the PICs, to take the right to development firmly into their own hands, accelerate development and revitalization, achieve mutual prosperity and promote fairness in the world.

The second China-Pacific Island Countries Foreign Ministers' Meeting was held on Monday in Suva, the capital of Fiji, with both Wang and Elieisar among the attendees.

Elieisar said he appreciated the important role China played in the success of the meeting and thanked China for taking the PICs as close friends.

The FSM is willing to work in solidarity with all parties to build a partnership of mutual respect, mutual understanding and mutual trust, he said.