On December 10th, 2020, the handover ceremony for the third cash donation by China to assist the FSM's capacity building in response to the COVID-19 pandemic was held at the FSM Department of Health & Social Affairs. On behalf of the Chinese government and the FSM government respectively, H.E. Huang Zheng, Chinese Ambassador to the FSM, and T.H. Livingston A. Taulung, FSM Secretary of Health & Social Affairs and Chair of the COVID-19 Task Force, signed the handover certificate. Mr. Moses E. Pretrick, Assistant Secretary of Health & Social Affairs and Mr. Brendy Carl, Assistant Secretary of Foreign Affairs, among others, attended the ceremony.

Starting by briefing the attendees about the Second Vice Ministers' Special Meeting on COVID-19 between China and Pacific Island Countries held on November 30th and the important consensus reached during the meeting, Ambassador Huang pointed out that by making the third cash donation to the FSM in the form of further funding the China-Pacific Islands Countries Cooperation Fund against COVID-19, China is taking concrete action to implement the Xi Jinping Thoughts on Diplomacy and the significant consensus reached between FSM President David Panuelo and Chinese President Xi Jinping  during President Panuelo's historic state visit to China last December, as well as the important consensus of the above-mentioned Second Special Meeting. Ambassador Huang emphasized that the COVID-19 pandemic is a common challenge to the human race and that, although it temporarily holds up in-person exchanges between China and the FSM, it had drawn closer the hearts and minds of our two peoples. He went on to review the batches of assistance in various forms China has provided to the FSM since the outbreak of the pandemic and stressed that China, upholding the vision of a Community with a Shared Future for Humanity, will continue to support FSM's endeavors in epidemic prevention and control, resumption of work and production and economic recovery. He pledged that China will sincerely fulfill its solemn commitment to making its vaccines global public goods once they are available and stands ready to work with the FSM shoulder to shoulder toward triumph in the battle against the pandemic and pushing forward the China-FSM Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to a new high.

Secretary Taulung, in his remarks, extended his heartfelt appreciation to China for its long-term selfless assistance in the economic and social development of the FSM, which not only enhances the FSM's governance capacity, but also widely benefits local communities by improving people's livelihood. He pointed out that in the cooperation against COVID-19, China had provided much-needed cash donations, medical supplies and technical support in a short time and that, in particular, the 30 modular isolation units for the purpose of COVID-19 response donated by China constitute a key part in the building of the FSM's basic epidemic control system. Secretary Taulung emphasized that the FSM cherishes its "Great Friendship" with China ever since the two countries established diplomatic relations 31 years ago and highly commended the new cooperation measures proposed by Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zheng Zeguang in the above-mentioned Second Special Meeting. He reiterated the FSM's strong commitment to consistently adopting the One-China Policy and pledged that the FSM will step up anti-pandemic and practical cooperation in various fields with China, as well as the coordination and mutual support in the international arena such as the World Health Assembly, to the end of advancing the China-FSM Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and making new contributions to the building of a Community with a Shared Future for Humanity.

The handover ceremony was covered by the FSM Information Services and local media.