Prime Minister of the Republic of Fiji, Sitiveni Rabuka on Tuesday toured a border county in southwest China's Yunnan Province, to learn more about China's rural revitalization.
Rabuka made the trip to Yunnan during his official visit to China from Aug 12 to 21.
On Tuesday afternoon, Rabuka arrived at Malipo from Kunming, capital of Yunnan. Malipo is a county sitting on the China-Vietnam border, with a population of approximately 240,000.
The county was once among the most impoverished areas in China. But through targeted policy support and a series of industrial development initiatives, Malipo shook off extreme poverty in 2020.
The Prime Minister toured two villages – Ping'anpo and Nanyou, where he learned how rural revitalization is taking place, in terms of specialty agriculture development, education and protection of ethnic culture.
"I was very impressed with the pictures they showed me of the village in 1992. I was Prime Minister of Fiji in 1992, and I’m Prime Minister again now. But nowhere in Fiji have we seen any improvement to be close to what we have seen here. So I congratulate the Chinese leaders of the past, particularly President Xi, for his political efforts at the time to alleviate poverty and to raise the standards of living of the people of China, particularly in those disadvantaged areas where the minority ethnic groups live," Rabuka said.
Rabuka also went to local villagers' homes to hear what changes they have experienced over the past years.
"We used to live in a tile-roofed house, a kind of fence house, which is different from the houses today. And there were only dirt roads in the village, which was quite narrow," said a local villager.
The Fiji leader said he expects to learn more during the rest of his trip in China.
"We have a lot to learn, and I have been making a lot of notes since I arrived on how we might be able to turn the little things in the villages into big things in the provinces and the nation," he said.
Fiji was the first Pacific Island country to establish diplomatic ties with China. Over the past five decades, the two countries have witnessed closer exchanges and cooperation across various fields.
During their meeting in San Francisco last November, Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed China's readiness to enhance cooperation with Fiji in such areas as infrastructure, agriculture, fisheries and new energy, and expressed interest in importing more Fijian specialties.
Fiji's Prime Minister visits border county in Yunnan
Many vibrant activities were held across China on Tuesday to celebrate the 40th Teachers' Day, which falls on Sept. 10, honoring the contributions of teachers to students' personal development and their role in shaping the overall education system.
In Hangzhou, capital city of east China's Zhejiang Province, landmark buildings were lit up at night with warm wishes, expressing sincere gratitude to teachers.
A school in Bishan District of southwest China's Chongqing Municipality held a special ceremony to welcome new teachers, who vowed to abide by the instructors' code and ethics during an oath-taking session.
In Nanchang, capital city of east China's Jiangxi Province, outstanding teachers were commended for their efforts in fostering student development and improving their academic skills.
Students in Lanzhou, capital city of northwest China's Gansu Province, showed their gratitude to the teachers' hard work with various forms of performances, including a live drama on stage.
Meanwhile, Majiang County in southwest China's Guizhou Province kicked off an art festival featuring music and dance performances to mark the special day.
In interviews with China Global Television Network (CGTN), people from various professions recalled their fondest school memories, sharing the important roles teachers played in shaping their lives.
"When I was in the second year of high school, my grades dropped. My Chinese teacher encouraged me, saying that 'Even if you're not one of the best, you're still unique.' I've remembered his words till this day," said Yu Kangna who works as a nurse at a hospital in Deqing County of Zhejiang.
"I've always been poor at math, but my math teacher didn't give up on me. He offered me and others extra tutoring and told us to believe in myself. He told us that girls don't necessarily perform poorly in math and we can be as good as boys," said Yue Ziyi, a student at Jimei University in east China's Xiamen.
Others expressed gratitude to their teachers for nurturing them and acting as guardians.
"My most memorable teacher is my head teacher in high school. He treated every student with loads of patience. He believes every one of us is capable of learning," said Wang Chaobo, a worker at the gas production branch of the Daqing Oilfield, one of China's largest oil production bases in the northeastern Heilongjiang Province.
"To Teacher Li, thanks you. Thank you for protecting me when I was young and for making me feel that I was no different from other students. I wish you good health," said Qu Zimo, a badminton player and also a member of the Chinese delegation for the Paris Paralympics.
Over the past decades, China has built the world's largest high-standard education system, covering pre-school, compulsory, senior high, higher education, adult education, and special education.
The country now boasts nearly 19 million full-time teachers, double the number in 1985 when the first Teachers' Day was celebrated.
China celebrates 40th Teachers' Day with vibrant activities
