Delegates of the diplomatic corps participating in the forum on "Win-Win Cooperation for Common Development" of China-Pacific Island Countries visited Pingtan, a rising international tourism island from Sept. 6-7.

The visiting sites include the International Research Center for Austronesian Archaeology, the East China Sea Wonderland, Pingtan Cross-Border E-Commerce and Logistic Park, and the Island Research Center of the Ministry of Natural Resources.

The trip is also part of efforts to search for the roots of the Austronesian group, explore the origin and spread of the group, and gain an in-depth understanding of Pingtan’s practice and achievements in island protection and development as well as marine economic development.

A member of the delegation experiences the intangible cultural heritage- Cane Shield Exercise in Pingtan.

All the representatives of the diplomatic missions to China are from the South Pacific island countries that belong to the Austronesian family. Hitherto, the international academic community widely believes that Pingtan’s Keqiutou site is one of the key areas of the origin of the Austronesian culture. The time point of the Keqiutou site coincides with that of the Austronesian migration to the sea.

Ambassador of Samoa to China Tapusalaia Toomata said in an interview, “This visit has provided me with better insights into the close ties between China and Pacific island countries, not only in business exchanges but also in the people-to-people cultural exchanges.”

In the Cross-Border E-Commerce and Logistics Park, Mona Mato, a trade commissioner of the Pacific Trade Invest China showed his keen interest in the development of Pingtan’s logistics and trade. He noted that in recent years, Pingtan had accumulated excellent experiences and practices in port operations. He hopes to further exchanges, enhance trade cooperation, and share high-quality development opportunities.

Island protection and development is an important agenda at the forum. At the Island Research Center, they learned about Pingtan Island and its marine resources. Farapo Korere, first secretary of the Embassy of Papua New Guniea in China, said: “Pingtan and Papua New Guinea have something in common, which makes me feel at home. Both are islands with impressive landscape.” The corps agreed to make proper use of marine resources, adhere to the bottom line of ecological protection and tourism development, and jointly create a cooperative platform for the blue economy.

Chen Xunming, deputy director of the Administrative Committee of Pingtan Comprehensive Pilot Zone joined in the inspection activities.

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