(October 16th, 2020, Kolonia, Pohnpei)
T.H. Ferny S. Perman, Chairman of the FSM Congress Committee on Health and Social Affairs,
T.H. Dr. Livingston A. Taulung, Secretary of Health and Social Affairs and Chairman of the National Task Force on COVID-19,
T.H. Kandhi A. Elieisar, Secretary of Foreign Affairs,
T.H. Feliciano M. Perman, Lieutenant Governor of Pohnpei State,
Mr. Dickson Wichep, Assistant Secretary of Transportation, Communication and Infrastructure,
Other officials of the FSM and Pohnpei State governments attending the ceremony,
Ladies, gentlemen and friends,
Kaselehlie and good afternoon! Today, we are here to witness the handover of the modular isolation units for the purpose of COVID-19 response, donated by China, and the completion of installation of the 10 among them allocated to Pohnpei State. This event signifies another big leap forward in the capacity building of the FSM in response to COVID-19 pandemic, which is also a new milestone in the common cause of China and the FSM for combating the pandemic hand in hand, as well as jointly building a Community with a Shared Future for Humanity.
China bore the first impact of COVID-19 pandemic in January, 2020. Under the personal command and planning of President Xi Jinping, the Communist Party of China and the Chinese government always put people's lives and interests first. With the people all over China united as one, we secured major strategic victories in our national fight against the pandemic. Now, by coordinating efforts in pandemic prevention and control and in economic and social development, hastening the recovery of production activities and restoring people's normal life pattern, China became the first major economy to return to growth since the outbreak. In the mean time, China has been vigorous in fulfilling international responsibilities and advancing the building of a global community of health for all. We have engaged in cooperation and exchanges with the international community against the pandemic in an open, transparent, and responsible manner and shared the knowledge about the virus and the experience in containing its spread, doing all we can to provide humanitarian aid in support of the global endeavors to stem the pandemic.
Virus respects no boundaries and is the common enemy of the human race. Both the fight to rein in the virus and the endeavor to fend off a deepening global recession call for the international community to stand in unity and engage in cooperation. They also call for multilateralism, support for the leading role of the World Health Organization in promoting global cooperation against COVID-19 and resolute opposition to any attempt at stigmatization, politicizing or labeling the virus. Right under the guidance of this notion that we're on the same boat, China and the FSM have been standing in solidarity, offering mutual assistance and working together to fend off the virus since the outbreak of the pandemic, leaving a shining stroke in the vast paint that depicts countries working shoulder to shoulder in the battle against COVID-19 pandemic. Up to now, China has provided various kinds of assistance to the FSM in response to COVID-19 and has also shared first-hand knowledge, provided technical support to and coordinated policies with the FSM for combating the virus. Some Chinese sub-national governments, enterprises and friendship organizations have also generously lent their helping hands to their FSM counterparts. By assisting the FSM and other countries to control and contain the pandemic, China is taking concrete actions to implement the Xi Jinping Thoughts on Diplomacy, whose content is centered on working to build a Community with a Shared Future for Humanity.
The FSM remains one of the only dozen countries in the world to be free of COVID-19 confirmed cases thanks to the FSM and Pohnpei State government, which, by holding fast to giving top priority to people's safety and health as well, immediately took serious and effective measures to prevent the virus from embarking, stepped up local epidemic control capacity building and actively participated in international collaboration on joint prevention and control. However, the FSM's economic and social development and people's daily life and livelihood are inevitably hit severely by the pandemic. Having in mind the "post-pandemic era", China is committed to helping the FSM, to the best of our capacities, reopen businesses in an orderly fashion and restore economic and social development while working on an ongoing basis to contain the virus. Just as Jacky Feng, Project Manager of China Construction Science and Industry Corporation Ltd. (CCSIC) just mentioned in his presentation, by taking the concern and demand of the FSM as our own, China particularly customized these 30 isolation units in aid to the FSM, which is expected to considerably elevate the FSM's capacity in response to the pandemic, especially in terms of improving the conditions of admitting and diagnosing COVID-19 suspected cases. In the following several months, COVID-19 vaccine development and deployment in China, when available, will be made a global public good. We will take priority in providing the vaccines to developing countries like the FSM through various means, including donation and assistance. We believe those measures will inspire confidence of and pave way for the FSM government to consider reopening international air travel and gradually relaxing border control in the next phase, bringing good news and hope to numerous FSM citizens and residents who have a dire need of returning home or going abroad.
The assistance from China today has once again proven that China's foreign aid (aka China Aid) is the sincerest and most selfless one. Nothing we do with China Aid is out of geopolitical calculation, or in pursuit of economic gains, or with any political strings attached. The purpose of China Aid is to work with other countries toward the building of a Community with a Shared Future for Humanity, which benefits the well-being of the people all over the world. China Aid has been consistently in accordance with the following 4 fundamental principles: First, equality. China Aid fully respects the will of the recipient countries' government and people and never interferes in their internal affairs, with no political preconditions attached; Second, mutual benefit. Third, openness. China Aid never targets any third party but is rather committed to common development. We're willing to collaborate with third parties in those aid projects; Fourth, sustainability. It is better to help people learn how to fish than just give them fish. Our aid projects here are all designed to promote the sustainable development of the FSM.
At this moment, I'd like to extend my special gratitude to H.E. President David Panuelo for his personal care for and staunch support to the isolation units project. My appreciation also goes to the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department of Health and Social Affairs, the Department of Transportation, Communication and Infrastructure, the National and Pohnpei State Task Forces, and other relevant entities, who provided valuable assistance and worked closely with us in carrying out the project. We shall not forget to acknowledge the significant input by Guangdong Provincial Government Foreign Affairs Office and Zhongshan Municipal Government Foreign Affairs Bureau, as well as CCSIC and Guangdong International Engineering Consulting Company Ltd. (GIECC), the 2 contractors of the project. Both the said 2 Chinese enterprises are among the best worldwide in their respective categories. CCSIC is evenly ranked among top 20 in the Fortune Global 500 for its extraordinary strength in capital, technology, qualification and human resources. The ongoing China-aid FSM National Convention Center project is also undertaken by these 2 companies.
On September 11th, 2020, the 31st anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the PRC and the FSM, Chinese President Xi Jinping and FSM President David Panuelo exchanged congratulatory messages. Both heads of state reiterated their important consensus reached in Beijing last December, which is to develop in length and depth the China-FSM Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and to consolidate our "Great Friendship" on the fundamental bedrock of the One-China Principle. I expect and am confident that the relevant parties on both sides will continue to fully implement the aforementioned important consensus by uniting in a concerted effort to properly transport and install the remaining isolation units allocated to the 3 other states, Kosrae, Chuuk and Yap, among the subsequent process of the project. The goal is to ensure the project's early fulfillment, making it a brand new landmark of the high-quality collaboration between China and the FSM in pursuit of the Belt and Road Initiative and building of a Community with a Shared Future for Humanity. The Chinese side is ready to keep on working shoulder to shoulder with the FSM side toward overcoming the pandemic and reopening businesses on an early date, to the end of building an open, inclusive, clean, and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security, and common prosperity.
Kalahngan! Thank you!