In the remote and mysterious mid-western Pacific, there is a country consisting of 33 islands. Their spread straddles the equator and the 180th meridian. The International Date Line goes around the country and swings far to the east, almost reaching the 150° W meridian. It is endowed with a unique location and scenery rarely seen. Here, people can be in all four hemispheres at once and live in tropical beach hubs, embracing the first light earliest in the world. This country is Kiribati.
On September 20, 2019, Kiribati announced that it had severed so-called “diplomatic relations” with Taiwan. China and Kiribati signed the Joint Communiqué on the Resumption of Diplomatic Relations Between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Kiribati on September 27 and resumed diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level. Over the past three years since the resumption of China-Kiribati diplomatic relations, bilateral ties have developed rapidly and cooperation in various fields has moved forward, bringing tangible benefits to the people of Kiribati. In May 2022, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Kiribati and met with Kiribati President and Foreign Minister Taneti Maamau. On May 27, China and Kiribati signed the implementing program on the joint building of the BRI, which provided general guidance and expectations for both sides to further advance the BRI cooperation, promote more friendly political relations, stronger economic ties and more frequent people-to-people exchanges, and realize mutual benefits, win-win situation and common development.
In July this year, to promote the economic and trade cooperation in BRI countries, the Academy for International Business Officials (AIBO), MOFCOM, organized the Seminar on Antitrust Law Enforcement for Belt and Road Countries and the Seminar on Modernization of Tax Collection and Administration of the Belt and Road Initiative Tax Administration Capacity Enhancement Group(BRITACEG) and invited experts from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and China Institute of International Studies to illustrate topics, such as China’s development, President Xi Jinping’s thought on national governance, practices in poverty alleviation and achievements in the fight against COVID-19, so that participants have a better understanding of China. Besides, AIBO invited multiple experts from the State Administration for Market Regulation and the State Tax Administration to have exchanges and discussions and achieved fruitful results.
Four government officials from Kiribati attended these two seminars. During the seminars, despite the time difference, shortage of electricity, and poor network, they proactively participated in activities and discussed the fruits of the resumption of China-Kiribati diplomatic relations with Chinese experts. Participants highly commented on the visit of the delegation from China led by State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and agreed that this visit is a milestone in the bilateral relations and promotes the mutual trust, friendship and cooperation between two countries. They also appreciated China’s inspiring development and had a fruitful journey during this seminar.
“We Kiribati people really need such seminar”
(Kiribati official Mme. Korimara’s expectation of the seminar)
“I’m very honored to attend this seminar with my fellow Kiribati participants. I understand that the seminar will base on antitrust law enforcement for Belt and Road countries. I work as a legal officer in the public service. Our role is to provide legal services and legal representation for those who are unable to afford their legal services. This topic is very new for me so the seminar will enable us to develop a deeper understanding of the topic.”
During the icebreaker, Taotere KORIMARA, Legal Officer from Ministry of Justice (OPLS department), Kiribati, showed great expectation of the seminar arrangement. During the later exchanges, Korimara said that it’s a pity that she couldn’t visit China because of the pandemic and its influence on international flights. However, the online seminar was also exciting and made her able to discuss with her foreign counterparts via video link even thousands of miles apart. “We Kiribati people really need such seminar.” reiterated Korimara. Her sincere words are full of thanks for relevant seminars organized by AIBO and for being invited to participate the seminars by China’s embassy in Kiribati.
“Chinese experts showed us how to better achieve poverty alleviation and economic growth”
Kiribati, with a land area of 881 square kilometers dispersed over 3.5 million square kilometers of ocean, enjoys abundant fishing resources, which are one of the major economic drivers there. After the resumption of China-Kiribati diplomatic relations, China immediately set up and implemented international technological training programs for agriculture and fishery. China also dispatched expert teams to help Kiribati plant new species of vegetables and provide guidance for relevant communities during the pandemic. All these measures help Kiribati improve its capability and quality of agriculture and fishery and gain a wide appreciation there.
Kabuati NAKABUTA, Senior Assistant Secretary from Ministry of Environment, Lands & Agricultural Development, Kiribati, has a deep understanding of this. He showed great respect for Chinese experts. He said that cooperation in agriculture and fishery is an important element of the relationship between the two countries. Chinese experts spare no effort to provide them with experiments, pilot programs, technology promotion and personnel training in vegetable cultivation, aquaculture and livestock breeding, and the use of agricultural machinery. All these efforts have greatly expanded people’s horizons and improved their skills. By doing so, people in Kiribati know how to use more advanced methods to help reduce poverty and promote economic growth there.
During the discussion, Mr. Nakabuta also told us about the impact of climate change on Kiribati. He said anxiously, “The rising sea level severely threatens Kiribati, the world’s lowest country. These 33 beautiful islands of Kiribati would disappear unless there are stronger measures in the international community.” As for this issue, Mr. Nakabuta said, “We sincerely thank China for standing up for small-island developing states like Kiribati in the international and multilateral arenas and calling on all parties to fully implement the Paris Agreement. President Xi Jinping’s solemn pledge to the world that China will peak carbon emissions by 2030 and reach carbon neutrality by 2060 on schedule is admirable. We look forward to working with China to address the climate change challenge through South-South cooperation.”
“Kiribati must seize the opportunity of resumption of diplomatic relations and accelerate the development”
Rengaua MAAMAU, from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, Kiribati, is the eldest participant in the seminar. She is the only participant experiencing the establishment and resumption of China-Kiribati diplomatic relations. “I was young at that time but I remembered that China and Kiribati carried out relevant cooperation since then. However, unfortunately, our bilateral relations encountered some headwinds.” said Mme. Maamau, “At present, it is widely recognized that there is only one China in the world. China’s complete reunification follows the trend of the world. The political decision to resume China-Kiribati diplomatic relations is absolutely correct. Kiribati must seize the opportunity of resumption of diplomatic relations and accelerate the development.” Mme. Maamau also said that over the past three years since the resumption of China-Kiribati diplomatic relations, our bilateral trade has maintained a high growth rate of 60% per year. The cooperation between our two countries in many fields has been very fruitful. In particular, the anti-COVID supplies and COVID-19 vaccines provided by China protect the health of people in Kiribati.
When it comes to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Mme. Maamau said that as globalization and free trade are threatened, the BRI, connecting many European, Asian and African countries, shows unprecedented ambition and vision and will benefit South-Pacific countries. According to her, the important role of the Belt and Road is not only to strengthen the physical connectivity but also to improve the economic structural adjustment and the environment for trade and investment for all participants so that they can better integrate into the global value chain. She also holds the view that Kiribati should be deeply involved in the BRI and connect its Kiribati 20-Year Vision Development Plan with the Belt and Road Initiative to implement more cooperation programs, strengthen our friendship and benefit our people.
“I would appreciate it if I can be offered an opportunity for a study visit to China after the pandemic to strengthen people-to-people exchanges between China and Kiribati”
(Kiribati official Ms. Bita introduces taxation in Kiribati)
Paulina BITA, also from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, Kiribati, is the youngest participant, who just celebrated her 25th birthday in July this year. During the seminar, the experts’ comprehensive illustration of the BRI made her confident about the promising prospect of China-Kiribati cooperation after resuming diplomatic relations. Online tours to the Great Wall, the Forbidden Palace, the Summer Palace and other world heritages make her yearn for visiting China. At the end of the seminar, Bita sent a letter to AIBO to express her thanks. In her letter, Bita appreciated China as “a great and charismatic eastern country”. She noted that in recent years, the Kiribati government has been committed to a diversified economy by encouraging the development of small private enterprises, fishery, small-scale processing and manufacturing industry, and coconut planting and Kiribati sincerely invites investment from Chinese enterprises.
When it comes to plans for the future, Bita wrote that “One seminar is far from enough, and I would appreciate it if I can be offered an opportunity for a study visit to China after the pandemic. I wish to strengthen people-to-people exchanges between China and Kiribati, and build a bridge of mutual understanding and enhanced friendship for our two countries on the vast Pacific Ocean.”
China and the Pacific islands, including Kiribati, enjoy friendly engagement in a long run. In recent years, the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two sides has continued to develop and achieved fruitful cooperation in various fields, including trade, culture, education and health. Such partnership has become a model of South-South cooperation, mutual benefit and win-win progress.
As the general base of China’s international cooperation in human resources development, AIBO proactively implements the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind and has been dedicated to helping other developing countries enhance their capacity for independent development. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, AIBO spares no efforts to stride forward and holds online seminars to share China’s experience in various sectors of economy and society. In July this year alone, AIBO invited 24 Kiribati participants to attend 9 training programs, covering various fields such as taxation, finance, poverty alleviation, education and green energy. By doing so, we continue to add substance to the achievements of China-Kiribati cooperation on the third anniversary of the resumption of diplomatic relations and relentlessly optimize the strategic pattern of the major country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics for a new era.
(Letter from the Kiribati Official Ms. Bita)
Letter from Paulina Bita:
To: The Academy for International Business Officials ( AIBO ), Ministry of Commerce, People’s Republic of China
Subject: Seminar on Modernization of Tax Collection and Administration of the Belt and Road Initiative Tax Administration Capacity Enhancement Group
Honorable Mr. Liu Rutao, vice president of the Academy for International Business Officials (AIBO).
I am Paulina BITA from Kiribati’s Ministry of Finance and Economic Development. I am writing to extend my gratitude to the Academy for International Business Officials, Ministry of Commerce, for allowing me to attend the China-aid Seminar on Modernization of Tax Collection and Administration of the Belt and Road Initiative Tax Administration Capacity Enhancement Group.
For me, the past 14 days are definitely a great experience, through which I have familiarized myself with China’s national realities and recent progress in the Belt and Road construction, and visited online some world heritage in China, including the Great Wall, the Imperial Palace, and the Summer Palace. Moreover, I have acquired knowledge about China’s tax law system and e-Tax service and learned about the approaches to improving taxpayer services. All of these are interesting and advanced experience that worth sharing with my colleagues.
In recent years, the Kiribati government has been committed to a diversified economy by encouraging the development of small private enterprises, fishery, small-scale processing and manufacturing industry, and coconut planting. We sincerely invite investment from Chinese enterprises. Meanwhile, Kiribati is endowed with magnificent scenery and is noted for the world heritage Phoenix Islands Protected Area. Chinese friends are warmly welcomed to our country for visits and vacations.
In my eyes, China is a great and charismatic Eastern country. I am eager to know more about it and draw on its valuable experience in poverty alleviation and economic growth. For a young woman like me, one seminar is far from enough, and I would appreciate it if I can be offered with an opportunity for a study visit to China after the pandemic. I wish to strengthen people-to-people exchanges between China and Kiribati and build a bridge of mutual understanding and enhanced friendship for our two countries on the vast Pacific Ocean.
Best regards.
Paulina Bita
Team Leader of Department of Taxation
Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, Kiribati
(Translated from Chinese version by Ms. Hu Peiyu, Beijing Foreign Studies University）
