Luamanuvae A. Mariner, Ambassador of Samoa to China (Photo by Lu Ningyuan/People"s Daily)

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Located in the South Pacific, Samoa is known as the "first place to see the sun rise" and boasts a long history, beautiful scenery, and unique culture. Recently, Luamanuvae A. Mariner, the Samoan Ambassador to China, said in his recent interview with us that China and Samoa enjoy time-honoured friendship, and the bilateral relationship is a prime example of the friendly cooperation between China and Pacific Island Countries (PICs). He welcomed friends from China to visit Samoa.

“I’m learning new things every day in China.”

Mariner came into office in China in July, 2022. Since then, he has visited many places in China, such as Beijing, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, to name but a few. As he set foot in more cities, he developed a better understanding of China, and was struck by the beauty of the mountains and rivers of China and fascinated by Chinese cuisine and impressed by the hospitality of Chinese people. “Chinese people are very friendly, very helpful. It’s a very interesting thing to have conversations with people here. If I have the opportunity, I would like to visit all parts of China.” Mariner said, it is one of his major agendas as the Samoan Ambassador to China to “visit more” and “see more” .

Mariner was impressed most by China’s rapid growth. He said, what China has achieved in the last decades is remarkable. China has become the second largest economy in the world and its development and contribution marvel us.

In the eyes of Mariner, “understanding China” is for “learning from China.” China has its unique development path, namely, “the Chinese path to modernization.” “This is based on the history, culture and national conditions of China. Everyone benefits from the outcomes of China’s modernization. And China strikes a balance between economic growth and ecological protection.” As he said, “I am learning new things every day in China. Samoa can carefully look at the elements in ‘the Chinese path to modernization’ and learn experiences from it.”

In the Samoan capital of Apia, Samoan women dressed in traditional attire prepare to present floral garlands to guests who have come from afar. （Photo by Guo Lei/Xinhua)

Speciality products become a “hit” on Chinese e-commerce platforms

China’s growth provides huge market space for Samoan products. Via the platforms of China International Import Expo (CIIE) and China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair), many Samoan agricultural products have travelled all the way to China and become familiar to Chinese people by being sold and eaten here. Mariner said that many Samoan products are very popular on China’s e-commerce platform. For example, the noni juice has secured a foothold in Chinese market. “China has a huge market, and I hope Samoan products could secure more market in China.”

Signs of bilateral cooperation and development can be see everywhere in Samoa, and the China-Samoa demonstration farm is one of them. Since the implementation of China-Samoa Agricultural Technical Aid Project 12 years ago, the largest and most complete demonstration farm of PICs has been developed in Samoa, with which 9 major farming techniques were promoted and over 100 model farming households were created. Mariner believed that this has not only helped local farmers, but also promoted the modernization and diversification of local agricultural products, raised the efficiency of growing vegetables, and met the domestic demand for fresh fruits and vegetables.

In 2022, the China-Samoa Friendship Park and Samoa Art & Culture Center, built with assistance from Huizhou of Guangdong Province, were successfully delivered. This new landmark of China-Samoa friendship left a deep impression on Mariner. He said that the Friendship Park and Art & Culture Center have become increasingly important places for Samoan people to relax and enjoy themselves. “When I was in Samoa, I would go for a walk in the large park almost every morning. People really enjoy leisurely strolls and chatting in the beautiful surroundings.”

View of the coastal road in Samoa. (Photo: Samoa Tourism Authority)

Samoan students fluent in Chinese

The bilateral economic and trade cooperation are on the rise, so it is with the bilateral cultural exchanges.

By making full use of the teaching resources of the Confucius Institute, Samoan children can learn Chinese, obtain new knowledge and techniques, and have a better understanding of China. The Chinese government provides scholarships to Samoan students each year, giving them the opportunity to receive education in China. "Samoan students who have studied in China can speak fluent Chinese and contribute to our national development when they return to Samoa,"

Mariner believed that the ever closer people-to-people exchanges between the two countries are built on time-honored historical ties. More than 100 years ago, Chinese came and settled in Samoa, and contributed their wisdom and strength to the development of Samoa together with local people. Supermarkets and restaurants run by Chinese are prevalent in Samoa. Mariner said that “many descendants of Chinese migrants have become famous local businessmen.”

Chinese travel agencies and online tour operators restarted providing pilot outbound group tours to selected countries (the second batch) and Samoa was in the list. Mariner hoped more Chinese tourists would visit Samoa in the future, get to know the beautiful country and promote the “two way flow” of personnel and culture. Mariner said that “with the pure beach, delicious food, passionate people, we warmly welcome Chinese tourists to take Samoa as their destinations when travelling to the Pacific Region.”