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China, Pacific Island countries vow to deepen cooperation for modernization

China

China

China

China, Pacific Island countries vow to deepen cooperation for modernization

2024-10-18 21:51 Last Updated At:10-19 01:07

China has reiterated its commitment to deepening ties with Pacific Island countries (PICs) through shared development and mutual respect as representatives of political parties gathered in Beijing for the fourth Pacific Island Countries-China Political Leadership Dialogue on Thursday.

Addressing the dialogue, Liu Jianchao, head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, emphasized China's willingness to support Pacific Island countries in exploring modernization paths suited to their own conditions.

He said China is ready to expand cooperation with these countries in areas of climate change, agricultural infrastructure, culture and tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.

Liu stressed that China's cooperation with Pacific Island countries does not attach political conditions or make empty promises and has been conducted openly and transparently.

Representatives from different parties of these nations said that they are now standing at a crossroads, transiting from established practices to innovative solutions, from limited resources to sustainable development, and from isolation to global engagement.

They hoped that they would be treated fairly to get more global financing support for their development.

"I appeal to the countries of the world, who are the ingenious behind the global financial architecture to re-look at this and free up the system so that even small countries can benefit. One of the biggest challenges we face is the restriction that is being imposed upon us by the global financial architecture, which is heavily dominated by a certain group of people that does not allow us in the Global South to enjoy the transactions and especially the capital inflows to assist our development," said Johnny Koanapo, president of Vanuatu's Vanuaaku Party and the country's minister of finance.

They believe they can draw inspiration from the Chinese experience and adapt it to the specific context of their islands.

"We've been in the forefront in terms of advocating climate change, which the South Pacific countries and the Pacific countries are very vulnerable. We are helpful to China for giving us those solutions, especially natural solutions, green solutions, to help our blue Pacific oceans. But there are other areas that we look forward that through the various high technological development in China, that will help us, especially as we move towards a new world that we are now confronting other areas of peace and stability," said Mosese Bulitavu, a member of the parliament of Fiji.

China has emphasized that it sees both itself and Pacific Island countries as developing nations, united within the framework of the Global South.

In the face of emerging challenges, China has expressed its willingness to share new regional cooperation platforms with these countries, aiming to work together towards achieving modernization.

China, Pacific Island countries vow to deepen cooperation for modernization

China, Pacific Island countries vow to deepen cooperation for modernization

Hundreds of thousands of workers in Italy staged an eight-hour strike on Friday, protesting against Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's 2025 budget, that raisses living costs and cuts wages.

The strike, organized by Italy's two main trade unions, the Italian General Confederation of Labor (CGIL) and the Italian Labor Union (UIL), involved workers from various sectors, except train staff, who had held a separate protest earlier this month.

In response to an injunction from the Transport Ministry, workers in local transport, ferries, and airways sectors limited their stoppage to four hours instead of the planned eight, to minimize disruption. Despite this, the strike saw significant participation, with organizers reporting around 70 percent of workers in affected sectors joining the action. Italy's flagship airline, ITA, was forced to cancel 109 flights, including 18 international routes.

Mass demonstrations and rallies took place in at least 43 cities, including Rome, Milan, Turin, Bologna, and Naples, drawing an estimated 500,000 people, according to CGIL.

The strike was sparked by discontent over Meloni's draft budget law for 2025. The budget aims to address Italy's longstanding issues with high public debt, with a commitment to reducing the country's deficit to 2.8 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2026. However, this fiscal consolidation has limited the government's capacity for income-support measures, tax cuts, and other expansionary policies, fueling frustration among workers.

Hundreds of thousands of Italian workers stage general strike against Meloni's policies

Hundreds of thousands of Italian workers stage general strike against Meloni's policies

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