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Editor's Note:

As the relations between China and Pacific Island Countries (PICs) have entered a new era, underpinned by comprehensive cooperation across the political, economic, and cultural fields, Chinese researchers have also been witnesses to this deepened relationship through enhanced research on these island countries. In an interview with the Global Times, they shared the common feeling that "a decade ago, we did not know each other very well, but today, we can say that we are true friends."

This story is also part of the Global Times' "Witness to History" series, which features first-hand accounts from individuals who were at the forefront of historic moments. From scholars, politicians, and diplomats, to ordinary citizens, their authentic reflections on the impact of historical moments help reveal a sound future for humanity through the solid forward steps taken in the past and the present.

China and PICs are connected by shared blue waters. In recent years, China's relationship with PICs has warmed rapidly, with expanding cooperation in various fields including politics, economics, and culture. This trend is evident not only in high-level exchanges and policy coordination, but also in academia's growing focus on research related to PICs.

An increasing number of universities and research institutions are paying attention to this "blue ocean," leading to a rise in both the quantity and quality of research output.

Professor Chen Dezheng, Director of the Pacific Island Countries Research Center at Liaocheng University, told the Global Times that these achievements not only illustrate China's growing research on PICs, but also symbolize the flourishing friendship and cooperation between China and these island countries.

Bonds of friendship

The friendship between China and PICs is based on similarities in various aspects including culture and living habits. In this regard, Shandong serves as a typical example.

"People in PICs generally have a 'fire worship' culture, such as performing torch dances to celebrate harvests and ward off evil spirits. In September 1985, during the 10th anniversary celebration of Papua New Guinea's independence, a magic acrobatic troupe from Jinan, the capital city of Shandong, was invited to perform locally. The superb performances by Chinese artists, especially the fire-breathing stunt that carried an air of Eastern mystique, captivated the Papua New Guinean officials and the public, who have a long-standing reverence for fire. This marked the beginning of a flourishing mutually beneficial friendship between Shandong and PICs," said Yu Lei, a senior researcher who has been studying PICs for over years from Shandong University.

According to the Fact Sheet: Cooperation Between China and Pacific Island Countries released by Chinese Foreign Ministry in May 2022, China and PICs have forged 22 pairs of sister provinces/states and cities.

The deep connection between Shandong and PICs nourishes Shandong researchers' studies in the field of PICs. Liaocheng University is regarded as a leader in China, holding a distinguished position in this specialized field.

The Pacific Island Countries Research Center at Liaocheng University, established in 2012, has made significant strides in academic research while playing a vital role in international cooperation and exchange.

The center has engaged numerous experts from China and abroad in the field of PICs studies.

Chen Dezheng told the Global Times that the center initially had fewer than 10 researchers but now boasts over 50 full- and part-time staff. The quantity and quality of their research have grown in tandem, with over 40 published works, including 14 volumes of The Annals of Nations on PICs. The center also undertook the writing of all entries related to PICs for The Encyclopedia of China (Third Edition), expanding the content tenfold to over 200 entries, enriching China's knowledge system on PICs.

Supported by the center, the China-PICs Cooperation Center on Climate Change was also established at Liaocheng University in recent years.

Beyond Shandong, as China deepens its relations with PICs, more institutions and universities are playing an active role in this field of research and exchange. For example, South China's Guangdong Province has continually sent medical teams and educational experts to PICs, considering their problems such as difficulties in accessing medical care and education.

When Global Times reporters visited the China-Pacific Island Countries Juncao Technology Demonstration Center in Nadi, Fiji, in August 2023, the reporters learned that professionals from the Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University in East China's Fujian Province have also organized some 40 training sessions across various locations in Fiji, benefiting nearly 2,300 individuals.

In 2024, forums focused on China-PICs relations have been particularly active.

On July 6, 2024 International Forum on Pacific Island Countries Response to Climate Change, hosted by the Center for Ocean Carbon Neutrality at Ocean University of China and sponsored by the International Association of Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences (IAMAS), convened in Qingdao, Shandong Province.

On October 16, 2024, the Launch Event and Workshop on the Implementation of One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) Initiative for Pacific Island Countries took place in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu Province. The event was attended by former Solomon Islands prime minister Manasseh Sogavare and representatives from various organizations, including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the China-Pacific Island Countries Agriculture Cooperation and Demonstration Center.

Deepening interaction
"At the very beginning, my studies in PICs were an extension of my studies in Australia. But after more than a decade, I can always feel, during my interaction with my friends in PICs, that we are getting a deeper and deeper understanding of each other. China and PICs are real friends rather than donor and receiver," Chen Hong, who took up studies on PICs since 2007, told the Global Times.

Yu also noted a deepening tendency in the cooperation between China and PICs. "In recent years, the cooperation between China and PICs is even more pragmatic in cooperation, focusing on improving the quality of life for the island nations' people and promoting local economic and social development."

For example, a Chinese company-built fisheries industrial park in Papua New Guinea not only enhances the utilization of local fishery resources, but also provides thousands of job opportunities for the local people. The Chinese government has also decided to implement almost zero tariffs on marine products from PICs in order to facilitate their entry into the Chinese market.

China's police and security cooperation with PICs is also strengthening. After experiencing several regional upheavals, the governments and people of these island nations have increasingly recognized that public security is not only crucial for the overall development of their countries and the region but is also directly related to the safety of people's lives and property. Countries such as Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Fiji have all enhanced their police cooperation with China to maintain social stability, Yu noted.

During the colonial period, local law enforcement systems in PICs were entirely established by Western military forces. For the local population, the only way to participate was to serve as servants or soldiers, essentially relegating them to a lower status. Once the colonizers left and the locals gained independence, a vacuum was created in the local security field. This was an extremely irresponsible approach, Chen Hong noted.

Now China's law enforcement cooperation with PICs is meant to help the island nations to develop their own abilities to safeguard law and maintain order. "We can see that from the 2023 Pacific Games in the Solomon Islands to the presidential elections held this April, both events went smoothly. Many professionals and my friends from PICs told me that this demonstrated that cooperation with China brought about a tangible long-term transformation in their societies," Chen Hong said.

The cooperation between both sides in addressing climate change has also deepened significantly. Climate change has been identified by the island governments and their people as the primary threat to national security, and they greatly appreciate China's support in this regard, according to Yu.

Climate change is a common challenge faced by countries worldwide, and the PICs are among the regions most threatened by climate change. In January 2022, a volcanic eruption in Tonga caused severe disasters such as tsunamis. China provided the first batch of post-disaster relief supplies and continued to aid Tonga in various ways. In April 2022, the China-Pacific Island Countries Climate Change Cooperation Center was officially launched. China has signed five project documents with PICs on giving them material climate change assistance under the framework of South-South cooperation, according to the People's Daily.

Shared pursuit for development

Deepening cooperation and friendship are based on mutual respect. Such equality and respect are reflected in every detail of the two sides' interactions.

"I have learned some Samoan out of personal interest. So, when I met a deputy minister from Samoa at a forum in Beijing this year, I talked with him in Samoan. He was so surprised and felt his culture and language being fully respected. Some people in the West might view Samoan as a backward language. Being able to talk with PIC people in their languages demonstrates that we treat each other as equals," Chen Hong said.

Western countries have provided substantial amounts of aid to PICs, but they gave most of the aid for their political and strategic aims, this is why they could not win the real friendship of PIC people, according to Chen Hong.

As Yu noted, China's cooperation with PICs focuses on developing local economies and improving people's livelihoods, particularly benefiting ordinary citizens. China's equal treatment, sincere assistance, and mutually beneficial cooperation with PICs are the strongest driving forces behind the continuous deepening of relations between these island nations and China.

Under the driving of mutual respect and understanding, China and PICs are working together for a better future. Such a tendency and feeling are also mirrored in Chinese researchers' studies in PICs.

In the Solomon Islands, there is an increasingly clear sentiment among officials and the general public regarding the importance of development. However, they struggle to find a clear direction in which to establish a modernization path suitable for their country's development. Some traditional systems, customs, cultures, and habits do not align with the needs of modern society. Although people have become aware of this, they find it difficult to apply them to actual practice, researchers from the Liaocheng University wrote in their observation diary on August 17, the eighth day of their visit to PICs this year.

Tonight is my last night in the Solomon Islands, and while writing this report, we can hear the sounds of local people celebrating the weekend outside my window. Over the last few days, we have not taken the time to appreciate the beautiful scenery here, but we have been constantly reflecting on the future development of the Solomon Islands, the researchers said.

Some 30,000 runners braved the smog in Beijing on Sunday morning to take on the 42.195-kilometer challenge of the 2024 Beijing Marathon, winding through the capital's main arteries and landmarks.

According to the organizing committee, around 30,000 participants, out of the record-setting 182,000 applicants from 43 countries and regions who signed up from October 2 to 5, joined the event this year. 

In the men's race, Lemi Hayle of Ethiopia claimed victory with a time of 2:09:16, followed by Bethwel Chumba of Kenya at 2:09:30 and China's Chen Tianyu at 2:09:48. 

In the women's competition, Vicoty Chepngeno of Kenya took first place with a time of 2:21:56, followed by Ethiopia's Rahma Tusa at 2:24:31 and Angela Tanui of Kenya at 2:25:41.

The course of the flagship event winds past some of Beijing's most iconic landmarks, offering runners a unique experience as they traverse the capital. 

Starting from Tiananmen Square, participants head along West Chang'an Avenue, passing by well-known sites including the Cultural Palace of Ethnic Communities, the Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution and the China Millennium Monument before finishing at the scenic Olympic Park Boulevard.

The Beijing Marathon, which held its maiden edition in 1981, has long been a widely celebrated event in China, attracting runners of all levels and fostering a spirit of endurance. 

Spokesperson from the State Council’s Taiwan Affairs Office on Wednesday responded to recent provocative remarks by a member from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities that hyped cross-Straits conflict, saying that such remarks once again reveal the true intentions of Lai Ching-te authorities, which, for their own selfish interests, are willing to turn Taiwan into a battleground and tie the people in Taiwan to “Taiwan independence” chariot.

Alexander Tah-ray Yui, Taiwan island’s “deputy representative to the US,” said in a recent interview with the US’s Fox News that the Taiwan people are ready if cross-Straits conflict breaks out and he hoped not to require assistance from the US. 

Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson from the State Council’s Taiwan Affairs Office, said during the Wednesday press briefing that the remarks once again revealed the ugly face of Lai Ching-te a authorities, which, for their own selfish interests, are willing to make island of Taiwan a battleground and tie the people in Taiwan to “Taiwan independence” chariot. 

According to Zhu, the DPP authorities’ recent actions have ranged from allocating a record $20.25 billion for defense spending and buying costly US weapons, to establishing the so-called Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee and promoting the training of 400,000 civilians to support the military. They have also covertly supported the Kuma Academy, even required high school students to sign a “Wartime Youth Service Consent Form.” 

These actions demonstrate that the Lai Ching-te authorities are intensifying efforts to “prepare for a war in pursuit of independence,” Zhu said, adding that if they continue to act recklessly, Taiwan will only become more perilous.

Zhu also pointed out that Taiwan people have become increasingly aware of the disastrous consequences of the DPP authorities’ escalating provocations for “Taiwan independence,” which have led to rising tension and instability in the Taiwan Straits. Many of them are now voicing a desire for peace and opposition to “Taiwan independence.” 

The DPP authorities must respect the mainstream public opinion on the island of Taiwan, end their pursuit of “Taiwan independence” through force and abandon all secessionist actions, Zhu said. 

In response to escalating tensions cross the Straits due to 17 US arms sales to Taiwan region under the Biden administration alone and Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA)’s two military drills around the island of Taiwan this year, Zhu said that the DPP authorities’ adherence to a diehard “Taiwan independence” secessionist stance and their collusion with external forces in ongoing provocations for “Taiwan independence” are the root causes of tensions and instability in the Taiwan Straits. 

According to Zhu, since taking office, Lai Ching-te has been aggressively trumpeting the new “two states” theory that the two sides of the Straits “are not subordinate to each other,” and deliberately undermining normal cross-Straits exchanges. By attempting to seek “Taiwan independence” through reliance on the US and seek “Taiwan independence” by force, Lai has continuously escalated cross-Straits tensions, pushing the Taiwan Straits to a perilous situation.

The US has persistently played the “Taiwan card,” insisting on arms sales to Taiwan region and “using Taiwan region to contain China,” which repeatedly sends the wrong signals to “Taiwan independence” secessionist forces, emboldening the DPP authorities to make risky provocations for “Taiwan independence,” Zhu said. 

The mainland remains committed to maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits and fostering exchanges and cooperation across the Straits, Zhu said. 

Besides, in response to the US’ republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s proposal to levy additional tariffs of 150 to 200 percent on China in the event of a cross-Straits conflict and to charge Taiwan a fee for US military protection, Zhu said that the US' true intentions regarding Taiwan — whether to “protect” or “harm” it — have already been judged rationally by most Taiwan compatriots. 

Taiwan people are aware that the US always prioritizes its “America First” policy, and Taiwan could quickly shift from being a “pawn” to a “discarded piece” if it suits US interests, Zhu said. 

Advanced equipment including drones with radiation sensors, source-seeking robot dogs, and radiation disposal robots were exhibited at the Hu'an-2024 emergency exercise in East China's Shanghai on Tuesday. These advanced devices provide a reliable guarantee for quickly finding out-of-control radioactive sources and avoiding high-dose radiation exposure to emergency responders.

The exercise deployed nearly 200 sets of the latest domestic radiation emergency equipment, including radiation emergency vehicles, drone-based source-seeking system, radiation source disposal robots, radiation source search robot dogs, and decontamination vehicles, according to The Paper.

The use of robot dogs for autonomous source detection and online dose measurement was one of the highlights of this exercise. Wu Mingming, a deputy director of the Health, Safety and Environment Department at State Nuclear Power Plant Service Co Ltd, told The Paper that the robot dogs were equipped with dose monitoring devices by using custom-developed software for autonomous detection. 

Additionally, the dogs' high-definition cameras, combined with AI tools developed for metal pattern recognition, enable autonomous source detection. With the aid of graphical software and remote videos, the final location of the radiation source can be identified through initial dose detection, he said.

Wu highlighted that traditionally, determining the precise location of a radiation source necessitated personnel to come close for measurements, thereby exposing them to radiation risks. Now, the use of robotic dogs to replace human involvement avoids human exposure to radiation, embodying the principle of human safety first.

This exercise focused on safety-related production accidents in chemical companies that could lead to radiation accidents, setting up scenarios where two radiation incidents occurred and were handled simultaneously. 

It mobilized radiation emergency response forces from Shanghai and the Yangtze River Delta region for a comprehensive, real-world drill. The key aspects tested included accident reporting, emergency activation, site control, radiation monitoring, source detection and storage, decontamination, and public relations response.

The use of "gantry radiation detectors plus washing vehicles" and decontamination agents tested the Shanghai radiation emergency team's capability to deal with open radioactive contamination. 

The exercise also launched the first integrated response mechanism for radiation safety in the Yangtze River Delta, accumulating experience to enchance the joint handling of such emergency scenario for the six provinces and one city in East China.

Units from the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) and US military are conducting the Keen Sword 25 exercises from Wednesday to November 1 at various locations across Japan, seeking to hype up the regional situation with China in mind, analysts said on Thursday.

Keen Sword, the largest US-Japan joint exercise this fiscal year, involves 45,000 personnel from JSDF and the US military, with a total of 40 ships and 370 aircraft from the two countries, Japan's Nikkei Asia reported Thursday.

Related countries are conducting intensive military activities around China.

The US and the Philippines launched the Sama Sama 2024 joint drills on October 7. This year's exercise involved almost 1,000 personnel from the two countries as well as Australia, Japan, Canada and France, media reported.

Some of the countries also sent warships to transit the Taiwan Straits using the excuse of "freedom of navigation."

The US and its so-called allies, using the excuse of addressing regional security tensions, frequently stir trouble in the Asia-Pacific region with the aim of escalating the situation for their own benefit, Chinese naval expert Zhang Junshe told the Global Times on Thursday.

The US wants to use Japan as a pawn to contain China, while Japan willingly subordinates to the US with the aim of expanding its military influence in the Asia-Pacific, facilitated by the US, Zhang said. "Keen Sword is the two countries colluding with but also exploiting each other."

The two sides will for the first time conduct evacuation drills of residents in Japan's southwestern islands, "in an apparent move to ensure the two allies can coordinate quickly and effectively in the event of a conflict around Taiwan island," according to Nikkei Asia.

The so-called evacuation drills hypothesize military actions by China in the Taiwan Straits. This behavior is essentially hyping the "China threat" narrative with unfounded assumptions, which will further exacerbate regional tensions and send a misleading signal to "Taiwan independence" separatist forces, Zhang said.

In addition to the strategic purpose of containing China, the US is also amplifying security tensions in the Asia-Pacific and frequently stirs up trouble with the hope of exploiting the sense of insecurity among related countries, so as to sell arms to countries like Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, and others, making a fortune from the tensions, Zhang noted.

China firmly opposes any form of official interactions with China’s Taiwan region by countries that have diplomatic relations with China, including the mutual establishment of representative offices. China has lodged solemn representations with India, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Thursday, in response to a question related to an alleged new representative office established by the island of Taiwan in Mumbai, India.

There is only one China in the world, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory, Mao said.

Mao emphasized that the one-China principle is a serious political commitment made by India and forms the political foundation of China-India relations.

China urges India to strictly adhere to its commitments, handle Taiwan-related questions cautiously, refrain from engaging in any form of official interactions with the Taiwan region, avoid any interference in the improvement progress of China-India relations, said Mao.

Police in Northwest China’s Shaanxi Province have seized 3.5 tons of paleontological fossils stolen by a gang, with a total of 78 bags, according to China Central Television (CCTV) on Tuesday.

At the end of March, local police received a report of a group of people stealing paleontological fossils at night. 

After surveilling the site for more than 10 days, officers found two men transferring the excavated fossils using a suspicious vehicle.

Police then arrested one of the suspects, surnamed Huang, in the early morning, and discovered 78 bags of fossils hidden in a kiln behind Huang’s bedroom. 

Following identification and verification, the collection of fossils was identified as vertebrate fossils which are under the state protection list with significant scientific research value. Following Huang’s arrest, the remaining three suspects surrendered, according to the report.

In August, the court, in its initial verdict, convicted the four defendants of fossil theft, sentencing them to prison terms ranging from four years and six months to two years and 10 months, and imposed fines on them.

The public is urged to promptly report to the relevant authorities if they encounter any activities involving the resale of paleontological fossils, according to the report.

Some netizens on Chinese social media platforms were shocked by the number of fossils stolen by the gang.

The Indian media's zero-sum mentality and their suspicion of China's normal military exchanges with South Asian countries have been exposed, Chinese experts said, as several India media adopted a wary tone in their coverage of a Chinese naval fleet's visit to Bangladesh. 

Chinese naval training ship Qi Jiguang (Hull 83) and amphibious dock landing ship Jinggangshan (Hull 999) arrived at Bangladesh's southeastern Chattogram seaport Saturday, kicking off a three-day visit. 

According to the Chinese Ministry of National Defense, during the visit, the fleet will organize bilateral meetings with the Bangladesh side and hold open days and receptions on deck, and will conduct professional exchanges and other activities with local people, aiming to strengthen exchanges, cooperation and mutual trust with the Bangladeshi navy.

Yao Wen, Ambassador of China to Bangladesh, welcomed the training fleet at the port on Saturday, according to the Chinese embassy. 

This visit marks the first occasion in four years since a Chinese naval fleet last visited Bangladesh, and it is the first foreign naval fleet to visit since the establishment of the Bangladeshi interim government. The visit holds significant importance for deepening the China-Bangladesh friendship and cooperation, said the embassy.

Indian media outlet The Hindu linked the Chinese fleet's visit to Bangladesh with the construction at the Chattogram Seaport, and alleged the facility had earlier attracted attention as it has the potential to host submarines and warships.

"The visit highlights the complex geopolitical landscape in South Asia, with Bangladesh balancing its relationships with both China and India. While the interim government's foreign policy direction remains to be fully defined, this visit suggests a continuation of the close ties between China and Bangladesh," said Defence.in, an online portal on the Indian defense and aerospace sectors.

Indian media speculation and the wary attitude toward normal military exchanges between China and Bangladesh reveal a zero-sum mentality in how India views China's cooperation with other South Asian countries, Qian Feng, director of the research department at the National Strategy Institute at Tsinghua University, told the Global Times on Sunday. Qian noted that this mentality stems from India's entrenched belief in treating other South Asian nations as its own backyard.

Qian said that India has been keeping a close watch on Bangladesh's policy toward China after the interim government took over, and the visit of the training fleet signals that Dhaka's pragmatic cooperation with China in not only military areas, but also in various fields will remain unchanged, as the two countries share profound ties of collaboration and both bear goodwill in pushing forward ties. 

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, met with Luong Cuong, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and permanent member of the CPV Central Committee Secretariat, in Beijing on Friday.

Chinese securities firms are gearing up for Tuesday's stock market opening, as domestic investors are lining up to open new stock accounts following a stock rally driven by policy stimulus measures days before the weeklong National Day holidays.

A staff member of a Guangzhou-based securities firm in South China's Guangdong Province told the Global Times on Monday that some employees of the company's wealth management, brokerage business and IT departments were on duty during the Golden Week, which ran from October 1 to October 7 (Monday), to facilitate new stock account openings and to ensure the normal operation of the technological systems.

"During the weeklong holidays, reservations to open new stock accounts surged by about 150 percent month-on-month, mostly from the post-1980s and post-1990s generations," the Securities Times newspaper reported on Sunday, citing a manager with Shanghai-based Sinolink Securities Co.

Due to a recent surge in securities account openings driven by market trends, the China Securities Depository and Clearing Corporation opened its account platform and identity verification system on Sunday, one day earlier than scheduled, to manage the high volume of account reviews, according to media reports.

The Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges conducted tests on their platforms on Monday to ensure a smoother trading experience, as the combined turnover of the two bourses surged to 2.6 trillion yuan ($270.45 billion) on September 30, the last trading day before the seven-day National Day holidays.

While the A-share market was closed during the National Day holidays, shares trading in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region gained momentum.

On Monday, the Hong Kong stock market extended its three-week rally, with the Hang Seng Index closing up by 1.6 percent.

"Given the strong stock market performance in Hong Kong, the upward momentum may continue and the A-share market will likely open higher on the first trading day after the National Day holidays," Yang Delong, chief economist at Shenzhen-based First Seafront Fund, told the Global Times.

Recently, the country's central bank, top securities regulator and financial regulator announced monetary stimulus measures as well as property market support and capital market strengthening measures, to foster China's high-quality economic development.

"The strength and timing of this round of policy rollouts exceeded the expectations of both domestic and global investors," Yang said.

UBS has announced an upward revision of the year-end target price for the MSCI China Index -- an index that captures large and mid cap representation across China's stock market -- to $70, reflecting improvements in policy coordination, US rate cuts and progress in corporate governance reforms, according to a note UBS sent to the Global Times on September 30.