On 10 November 2022, Chinese Ambassador to Vanuatu Li Minggang paid a courtesy call on Vanuatu’s newly-elected Speaker of Parliament Seoule Davidson Simeon. Third Deputy Speaker Gloria Julia King and Fourth Deputy Speaker Andrew Solomon Napuat of the Vanuatu Parliament attended the meeting.
Ambassador Li first read out and handed over the congratulatory message from Li Zhanshu, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) of the People’s Republic of China, to Speaker Simeon. Ambassador Li said that this year marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Vanuatu. Legislative exchanges are an integral and important part of China-Vanuatu comprehensive strategic partnership. In 2021, China’s NPC and the Vanuatu Parliament signed a Memorandum of Understanding on legislative cooperation, which laid a solid foundation for future exchanges and cooperation. At this new starting point, China is willing to work together with Vanuatu to further promote exchanges and cooperation between the two countries’ legislatures and political parties, so as to carry on the friendship between the two countries and benefit the two peoples.
Speaker Simeon asked Ambassador Li to convey his sincere regards to Chairman Li Zhanshu, and expressed heartfelt thanks to China for helping Vanuatu construct its Parliament Building. He said that under the BRI framework, China has actively carried out cooperation with Vanuatu in infrastructure, economy, technology, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, medical health, etc., which greatly boosted Vanuatu’s economic development and people’s livelihood. The Vanuatu Parliament firmly upholds the one China policy, and is willing to work together with China, to implement the MoU and further tap cooperation potential for the benefit of the two peoples.
After the meeting, Speaker Simeon led Ambassador Li to tour the Parliament Building, and vividly introduced the history of the China-aided construction of the Parliament building and the functions of various parliamentary institutions.