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| Statement by the Acting Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, Mr Feleti P Teo |
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| 2008-10-10 15:04 mofcom |
Your Excellencies,
Mr Chen Deming Minister of Commerce ,P.R.C.
Deputy Prime Minister of Samoa and Cook Islands
Distinguished Ministers from the Pacific Islands Forum countries
Distinguished delegates
Ladies and Gentlemen
1.Let me start by joining other previous speakers (Ministers) in thanking the government and people of the People’s Republic of China and the Mayor and people Xiamen City for the wonderful hospitality and courtesies extended to me and my delegation from the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat.
2.My particular and special thanks for the invitation extended to the Forum Secretariat to participate in this,the second ministerial conference since the China-Pacific Islands Countries(PIC) Economic Development and Cooperation Forum was established under the auspices of the Guiding Framework adopted by China and the PIC in April, 2006.
3.That framework now sets the parameters for engagements between the PIC and China in developing their relations pertaining to cooperation in key identified areas. The focus of this particular conference is, of course , trade , investment and tourism which are fundamental sectors critical to the economic development aspirations of many of the PIC.
4.The distinguished Ministers who have spoken highlighted the major activities and achievements in their relations with China in these three thematic areas since the Guiding Framework was adopted two years ago.
5.I accept that the Guiding Framework though in the main premise on the basis of enhancing and intensifying cooperation on a bilateral basis between China and the PIC, the framework also has entail an element of regional cooperation in those areas where regional cooperation supplement , complement and add value to those bilateral relations.
6.It is this regional dimension of cooperation between China and the PIC that I want to briefly touch on in my statement if time permits.
7.The Pacific Island Countries as a collection of states and as a region and in recognition of their limited and scarce resources and the enormous constraints and vulnerabilities they have to overcome, have worked reasonably well in sharing and pooling resources together to address some of their development challenges.
8.The Pacific Plan adopted by Leasers of the PIF countries three years ago is now the blueprint for regional cooperation . The Pacific Plan is not the solution to all development challenges in the region but it provide a significant part of the solution, where regional approaches (responses) add value to national initiatives and efforts in addressing those development challenges.
9.Under the Pacific Plan there are key initiatives identified by Leaders where regional cooperation and responses would add value to countries efforts in addressing challenges in those areas. These initiatives and priorities under the Pacific Plan are annually reviewed and refreshed by the Leaders at their annual leaders meeting. The last of which was at their meeting in Niue three weeks ago where the Leaders identified 10 key priority sectors with associated focused areas for implementation over the next 12 months.
10.One of the key priority sectors is economic integration and trade, a regional priority that has been the subject of intense ministerial consideration and ongoing focus as one of the collective responses to address many of the development challenges encountered by the island countries in the region. It is the subject of the annual Forum Trade Ministers meeting and the ongoing PACP Trade Ministers discussions.
11.The point I want to reemphasize this morning is that the Pacific Plan should be the point of entry (or reference ) for any development partner wishing to engage in the development of PIC through regional cooperation . And development partners should be encouraged to align their development assistance and programme to the region with the identified regional priorities under the Pacific Plan and other regional ministerial processes.
12.One of the key objectives of the Pacific Plan is the promotion and sustaining of regional economic cooperation and integration as the way forward for the region.Economic development is acknowledged as one of the pillars of growth.
13.In describing how economic development should be achieved in the region, the Pacific Plan affords a high priority both to increased sustainable trade in goods and services, and to investment. This is to be achieved by increased private sector participation in engagement in development.
14.A November 2006 study on trade and investment relations that was sanctioned by the 2006 Forum leaders meeting recommended that a more detailed Scoping Study on Trade, Investment and Development Cooperation Agreement between the PIC and China be undertaken.
15.I am pleased to report that this study is now underway and being undertaken by two distinguished and respected academics in Professor Scollay from the Pacific region and Professor Zhang Yunling from Beijing. We look forward to the outcomes of the scoping study which we all hope will better define the potential areas and sectors and possibilities that would accrue benefits to both China and PIC from closer and intense collaboration and cooperation in the area of trade and investment.
16.We seek the full support of China in this scoping study exercise.
17.The results of this scoping study will the available by the end of this year .It is expected that recommendations will be made for future work that will improve trade and investment in the pacific region. We hope then to be able to convene joint working groups that will consider the issues covered in the study so that by the next Forum of this kind in 2010 we will be able to start moving and plot the way forward for a much closer relationship in trade and investment between China and PIC.
18.The last point I want to make is that under the Guiding Framework of 2006, there is an expectation that parties to the framework should be able to assess and examine progress and achievements made under the auspices of this framework..The framework does not provide any modalities in undertaking that assessment and examination. The Secretariat feels that this work would be imperative and discussion need to commence well in advance of the next Ministerial forum, so that distinguished ministers at their next meeting would be able to reflect objectively on the performance and achievements of activities under the Guiding Framework..
19.The Secretariat would be ready to initiate work in this regard if the parties to the framework see fit for the Secretariat to contribute to that exercise.
20.Your excellencies, thank you once again for the opportunity afforded to the PIFS to share some of its views on the important issues of this conference. I wish all of you successful and fruitful deliberations in the course of today and the days to come.
Thank you.
END. |
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 | Statement by Misa Telefoni Retzlaff, Vice Premier, Minister of Commerce, Industry, Labor and Tourism of Samoa 2008-10-10 10:12 |
| Remarks by Marokon Alilee, Director General of Ministry of Trade, Commerce and Tourism of Vanuatu at the Investment,Trade and Tourism Ministerial Conference of the China-Pacific Island Countries Economic Development and Cooperation Forum 2008-09-27 09:05 |
| Remarks by Dion Taufitu, Associate Minister of Trade and Investment of Niue, at the Investment, Trade and Tourism Ministerial Conference of the China-Pacific Island Countries Economic Development and Cooperation Forum 2008-09-26 17:23 |
| Remarks by Peter M.Christian, Secretary,Department of Resources and Development of Micronesia, at the Investment, Trade and Tourism Ministerial Conference of the China-Pacific Island Countries Economic Development and Cooperation Forum 2008-09-26 17:21 |
| Remarks by Gabriel Kapris, Minister of Commerce and Industry of PNG, at the Investment, Trade and Tourism Ministerial Conference of the China-Pacific Island Countries Economic Development and Cooperation Forum 2008-09-26 17:18 |
| Remarks by Chen Deming, Minister of Commerce at the Investment, Trade and Tourism Ministerial Conference of the China-Pacific Island Countries Economic Development and Cooperation Forum 2008-09-16 17:18 |
| Pacific Islands Merchandise Show & Trade Talks Kicked off 2008-09-09 11:09 |
| Pacific Islands Explanation Session for Investment Environment and Policies & Investment Project Talks Was Held 2008-09-09 11:09 |
| China and Pacific Islands Travel Cooperation Symposium Was Held 2008-09-09 11:08 |
| Deputy Director of China National Tourism Administration Du Jiang Met with Director-General of SPTO Ivory 2008-09-09 11:08 |
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