Chinese President Xi Jinping highlights Pingtan' s historical ties with Austronesian peoples during talks with Micronesian counterpart

On the afternoon of April 9, 2024, Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks in Beijing with President of the Federated States of Micronesia Wesley W. Simina, who was on a state visit to China.

President Xi said:" I warmly welcome your first state visit to China. China and the Pacific Island countries share a long history of exchanges, deep-rooted friendship among our peoples, and shared development goals. During my tenure in Fujian Province, I learned about the Austronesian family, which is widely distributed among Pacific Island countries, originated from Fujian. Particularly noteworthy is Pingtan in Fujian, where numerous archaeological discoveries at local Keqiutou site have established it as an international research center for Austronesian archaeology. Every meeting with friends from the Pacific Island countries fills me with a sense of familiarity."