On December 22nd, 2020. Ambassador Huang Zheng accompanied T.H. Eugene Amor, Secretary of the Department of Finance and Administration (DOFA) of the FSM to visit the Chinese Pilot Farm. Seven more guests were present, including Mr. Salvador Jacob, DOFA Assistant Secretary for Customs and Tax, Mr. Erick Paul, Assistant Secretary for Treasury, and Mr. Sohs John, Assistant Secretary for Budget, along with Attaché Li Jiao, who is temporarily responsible for economic and trade affairs of the Chinese Embassy.
Ambassador Huang welcomed Secretary Amor and his party and briefed them on the current situation of the farm. Huang said that twelve experts on growing vegetables, animal husbandry and civil engineering have been planting more than thirty kinds of vegetables and fruit in the farm. They also possess technological patents over cash crops as watermelon and dragon fruit, which won acclaim from local governments and communities.
Ambassador Huang emphasized that the Chinese Pilot Farm in the FSM is a project of great importance to implementing the Xi Jinping Thoughts on Diplomacy, pursuing Belt and Road Initiative, and building a Community with a Shared Future for Humanity. Guided by the idea of teaching people how to fish, China's agricultural assistance has taken FSM requirements into consideration based on the principles of equality, mutual benefit, openness and sustainability. With constant development and innovation, China's agricultural assistance in the FSM has achieved remarkable results and contributed to safeguarding local food security, improving people's livelihood, tackling climate change and boosting sustainable economic development. Ambassador Huang said he believes China and the FSM, with joint efforts, will enjoy a even closer relationship in the future and our bilateral cooperation will bear more fruitful results.
Secretary Amor extended appreciation for the arrangement of the visit. He highly commended the great ideas of joint pursuit of the Belt and Road Initiative and a Community with a Shared Future for Humanity proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping. He said that the Chinese Pilot Farm in the FSM brings tangible benefits to local people through enriching local species diversity, safeguarding food security, handling climate change which can be described as the greatest threat to FSM security, and promoting sustainable economic development. Secretary Amor then expressed thanks for China's generous assistance since the establishment of the bilateral diplomatic relations, which will be remembered by the FSM government and people. He hoped that the farm will become better and better and make even greater contributions to FSM economic and social development.
Accompanied by Ambassador Huang, Secretary Amor and his party went on a tour of the vegetable greenhouse, piggery and bio-gas stove demonstration area.