Pingtan, located off the southeast coast of China's Fujian Province and a key region for exploring the origin and spread of Austronesian civilization, recently welcomed a distinguished visitor from Micronesia. Augustine C. Kohler, director of the Federated States of Micronesia's (FSM) Office of National Archives, Culture & Historic Preservation (NACH), embarked on his first trip to the island, where he explored the Keqiutou Site Group and its museum, expressing excitement at connecting with ancestral cultural traces through pottery, stone adzes and dugout canoes on display.

Kohler's visit coincides with a milestone—the official launch of the Austronesian and Maritime Civilization Committee of the Alliance for Cultural Heritage in Asia held in Pingtan. As the first non-governmental organization in Asia and the South Pacific dedicated to Austronesian cultural heritage protection, the committee was jointly established by 36 institutions from 21 countries, aiming to strengthen international exchanges and cooperation in safeguarding this shared legacy spanning thousands of years.

The Austronesian language family, comprising approximately 1,200 languages spoken by 400 million people, is mainly distributed across islands in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, with its cultural influence extending from the southeast coast of the Chinese mainland and Taiwan Island outward. Micronesian languages form one of the four major branches of this linguistic family. "A growing body of academic evidence points to China's southeast coast as the ancestral homeland of Austronesian peoples, and Pingtan is undoubtedly a crucial location for exploring the origin and diffusion of this civilization," Kohler noted, describing his trip as a "journey to find roots" that has instilled in him a profound sense of mission. "The establishment of the committee is an unprecedented opportunity. As descendants of Austronesian peoples, we must join hands to integrate resources, promote collaboration, and jointly advance the inheritance and development of Austronesian culture while safeguarding this common heritage that transcends borders."

Highlighting the cultural core of Austronesian communities, Kohler emphasized the centrality of family: "In Austronesian culture, family is everything, and family means respect and humility. To this day, this concept flows in the blood of all Austronesian descendants like a gene. Perhaps this is the true essence of maritime civilization—it teaches us to treat each other like family."

China and the Federated States of Micronesia have deepened cooperation in infrastructure, people-to-people exchanges, trade and economic relations in recent years. In November 2025, China and several Pacific island nations including Micronesia jointly signed the Framework Agreement on Enhancing Economic Partnership, aiming to share China's vast market and development opportunities with Pacific island countries on the basis of mutual benefit.

Citing resource, funding and technical constraints that have prevented Micronesia from establishing a modern museum—hampering local cultural research and exhibition—Kohler stated that a key purpose of his visit is to learn from Pingtan's experience in museum construction and operation, including venue design, cultural relic preservation and curatorial concepts."I hope that in the near future, our country can also have a magnificent museum that will not only promote cultural relic protection and archaeological research but also open a window for the world to understand Micronesia's history," he said.

Kohler revealed that the committee plans to host an expo in China in 2026, showcasing cultural relics related to Austronesian peoples and maritime civilizations. His team is currently in discussions with various parties to exhibit an ancient Micronesian dugout canoe at the event, with plans to later display the vessel at the Keqiutou Site Museum in Pingtan.