ＣＯＦＡ Ｐｒｅｓｉｄｅｎｔ Ｐｅｎｇ Ｐｅｉｙｕｎ Ｌｅａｄｓ Ｄｅｌｅｇａｔｉｏｎ ｔｏ Ｆｉｊｉ ａｎｄ Ｓａｍｏａ

The delegation of the China-Oceania Friendship Association (COFA) headed by its president Peng Peiyun visited Fiji and Samoa from October 29 to November 12， 2005 at the invitation of the Fiji Chinese Federation for Culture， Arts and Economic Development and the Chinese Embassy in Samoa. During the visit Peng Peiyun met with Fijian Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase and Minister for Women and Social Welfare Asenaca Caucau， Samoan Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi， Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Toleafoa Faafisi and Minister of Education， Sports and Culture Fiame Naomi Mata’Afa， and other important government officials of the two countries， and attended the cultural evening party in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Fiji and the reception marking the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Samoa hosted by the Chinese embassies in the two countries and the reception for 30 years of Samoa-China diplomatic relations held by the Samoan Government. She called on the Fiji Red Cross Society， the South Pacific Region Office of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies， the Samoa Red Cross Society and other nongovernmental organizations.

When meeting with the prime ministers of the two countries， Peng Peiyun spoke highly of the marked progress made in bilateral relations and profound friendship forged between the peoples with the concerted efforts by both sides since the establishment of diplomatic relations， expressed great appreciation of the one China policy adhered to by the government of Fiji and Samoa to support China’s great cause of national reunification， and stressed that to develop Sino-Fijian and Sino-Samoan friendly and cooperative relations complies with the common aspiration of the people of both countries. She gave a detailed account to the CPAFFC and the COFA which was founded in early 2005， and expressed the hope that such friendship organizations would be established in Fiji and Samoa to carry out people-to-people exchanges and cooperation and deepen mutual understanding and friendship between the peoples so as to further the friendly bilateral relations.

The delegation’s visit to Fiji coincided with the convening of its Parliament meeting on budget. Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase took time off his busy schedule to meet with the delegation. He said in emphasis， though Fiji and China are far apart geographically， the friendship between the two peoples goes back to hundreds of years. The year 2005 saw the 150th anniversary of the first Chinese arrival in Fiji. The hard-working and kindhearted Chinese have lived harmoniously with the local people and made great contributions to the social development of the country. As the first South Pacific country to establish diplomatic relations with China， the Fijian Government attaches great importance to cooperation and exchanges with China and thanks the Chinese Government for its sincere assistance to Fiji over the years. Fiji has always adhered and will continue to adhere to the one China policy.

On the day of the anniversary， the delegation and the Guangdong Friendship Art Group attended the cultural evening party held by the Chinese Embassy to mark the occasion. The First Lady of Fiji， the minister for women and social welfare and other important government officials among more than 400 people from the local Chinese community watched the performances. At the evening party， the Guangdong Friendship Art Group， the Fiji Culture and Art Group and the local Chinese art troupe jointly presented an excellent programme. In her speech at the evening party， the minister for women and social welfare said， she experienced the profound and splendid Chinese culture during her visit to China in June 2005. Cultural diversity has promoted the progress and development of the human society and different social systems are not obstacles to developing friendly relations between the two countries. Despite the changes in the international situation， Fiji and China should continue to strengthen cooperation on the basis of seeking common ground while reserving differences. At the end of the evening party， the distinguished guests were invited to come up the stage and danced the local Fijian dance， which pushed the party to the climax.

During its stay in Samoa， the delegation was accorded high courtesy by the Samoan Government. It was already 2 am when the delegation arrived in the Samoan capital Suva. The chief executive officer of the Samoan Foreign Ministry and the staff of the Chinese Embassy had been waiting for some time. They held high the banner with the words welcoming the delegation’s visit to Samoa and put a garland on each member of the delegation. The fragrant garlands and the warmth of the host moved the delegation members greatly.

The Samoan Government held a grand reception to mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Samoa and China. Prime Minister Tuilaepa and COFA President Peng Peiyun delivered warm speeches at the reception. The young actors and actresses of the Samoa Dancing Art Group which is well-known in the South Pacific region performed dances with distinctive local features and played musical instruments. The Prime Minister also had a cordial meeting with the delegation in his office the next day.He recalled with deep feelings the process of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries， highly praised the growing Samoa-China relations and the fruitful mutually beneficial cooperation， and thanked the Chinese Government for the generous assistance it had given Samoa over the years. He stressed， high-level exchanges of visits and people-to-people contact are important ways to enhance mutual understanding and bilateral relations. Samoa sticks to the one China principle and will continue to support the Chinese Government’s effort to safeguard its national sovereignty and territorial integrity. He wished that China would realize national reunification at an early date.

At her meeting with the delegation， Toleafoa Faafisi， speaker of Samoa’s Legislative Assembly， said， she has Chinese blood. Therefore， she is especially happy whenever she learns about the visits by Chinese delegations. China has achieved the fastest growth among developing countries. Like a reliable elder brother， China has been rendering selfless assistance to Samoa.

The Chinese Embassy in Samoa hosted a reception on the day of the anniversary. The deputy head of state of Samoa， the prime minister and his wife， the minister of communication and information technology， the minister of police， prisons and fire service， the minister of education， sports and culture， and the chief justice of the Land and Titles Court， among more than 180 people from the local Chinese community as well as the staff of China’s aid project. Chinese Ambassador Liu Guanren addressed the reception. The Embassy put up a temporary stage for the performance by the Guangdong Friendship Art Group. It was raining hard outside， but a warm atmosphere permeated the reception hall. The brilliant performance captured the attention of all present who were immersed in the unique Chinese culture and art. When the performance ended， the deputy head of state and other important guests walked up the stage and sang a song in praise of the friendship between the two countries， bringing the reception to its climax. In the 4-day visit to Samoa， Prime Minister Tuilaepa met with the delegation on 3 occasions， which deeply moved the members of the delegation and showed the profound friendship between China and Samoa.

The delegation made full use of the limited time to meet friends during the visit. It called on the Fiji Red Cross Society， the South Pacific Region Office of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies， the Samoa Red Cross Society and other nongovernmental organizations and visited the construction site of the aquatic centre---a China aid project---and the Chinese staff there. The aquatic centre will be used as one of the venues for the South Pacific sports meet that will be held in Samoa in 2006. The hustle and bustle of the construction site where the Chinese and Samoan workers and technicians worked in close cooperation left a deep impression on the members of the delegation.

This was the first outbound delegation organized by the COFA since its founding. Through the visit the delegation learned of the social development and the life and customs of the people of the two countries， and established links and forged friendship with various circles， which laid the basis for future exchanges and cooperation.