Dongguan Contribute China-Tonga Friendship and Cooperation Featured
Hon. Pohiva Tu'i'onetoa, Mr Yuang Xiaotang, Deputy Mayor of the city of Dongguan, Acting Prime Minister Hon. Sovaleni, PRC Ambassador to Tonga H.E. Mr. Huang Huaguang. Hon. Semisi Fakahau on the background with tractor gifted to Tonga High School
Nuku'alofa, 19 May 2016. On 14-17 May 2016, Mr. Yang Xiaotang, Deputy Mayor of Dongguan, Guangdong Province in China led a delegation visited the Kingdom of Tonga. The successful visit further promote China-Tonga friendship in various sectors.
The delegation had several good discussions with Hon. Siaosi Sovaleni, Acting Prime Minister of Tonga and cabinet ministers for future cooperation priorities and signed MoUs on strengthening exchanges and cooperation and the establishment of sister relations between Dongguan and Ha’apai. As addressed by H.E. Mr. Huang Huaguang, Chinese Ambassador in Tonga, after the signing ceremony, “the local government played an important role in promoting the friendship between two countries and would inject new powers for the future China-Tonga cooperation.”
A package of goods provided by Dongguan was handed over by Mr. Yang, including two tractors, medical equipment like electrocardiogram machines, ultrasound examination machines and dental chairs as well as computers, schoolbags and stationary for schools. The computers would be provided to Tonga High School and Ha’apai High School for upgrading their computer classrooms. The total amount of the goods provided by Dongguan is around 800,000 TOP. Hon. Siaosi Sovaleni, H.E. Ambassador Huang and Mr. Yang join the celebration of the handover in Tonga High School in the morning of 16 May.
During the visit, Mr. Yang, together with H.E.Ambassador Huang and Hon. Aisake Eke, Minister for Finance and National Planning also jointly commissioned the Campus Road Upgrade Project of Tupou College. The project would pave most roads inside the campus including the road to bush area. The cost of the project is around 1 million TOP and is planning to be finished before the celebration of 150 anniversary of Tupou College later next month.
In the evening of 16 May, a promotion event of 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Expo was held in Fa'onelua Convention Center and Hon. Siaosi Sovaleni, H.E. Mr. Huang and Mr. Yang together with business people from both countries attend the event. Mr. Yang invited Tongan government and business sectors to take part in this year’s Expo which would be held on 27-30 October 2016 and utilize the Expo to introducing its tourism resources, good quality agricultural products and colorful culture and make it an new platform for China-Tonga win-win cooperation.
Besides government officials, the delegation also includes 14 members from the business sectors as well as 10 art performers. The art delegates gave two wonderful performance during the Tonga High School Handover Ceremony and the MSR Expo Promotion Event and gained lots of applause.
PRC Embassy, Tonga
