The city view of Suva, the capital of Fiji. Photo: Shan Jie/GT
With Fiji’s Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka paying an official visit to China from August 12 to 21, analysts expect further practical cooperation projects between the two countries.
China and Fiji complement each other and are natural partners in economic cooperation. The two countries maintain constant economic and trade exchanges and cooperate intensively in various fields, analysts said.
They also noted that China and Fiji are expected to explore new cooperation opportunities in green industries, such as renewable energy generation.
Relations between China and Fuji have made steady progress over the past 49 years of diplomatic ties. There have been fruitful results in exchanges and cooperation in many areas, which have brought benefits to the peoples of both countries, said the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
For example, within the framework of China’s proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), some practical projects have been implemented or are currently underway, such as the Juncao project and some infrastructure projects.
China and Fiji signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation within the framework of the BRI in November 2018 in Suva, the capital of Fiji.
China’s Juncao project has played a central role in the country’s decades-long poverty alleviation efforts. The Juncao technology was later introduced to the world and has benefited Fiji since 2014, when it was introduced in the Pacific island nation.
Juncao literally means “mushroom” and “grass,” as its name suggests, and can be used to grow edible mushrooms, as livestock feed, or as a green barrier to control desertification.
The Juncao project has taken hold in Fiji and has become an important source of income for the local people. China has provided technical experts to teach Fijians about farming techniques, Sun Chang, a research fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian and Oceania Studies at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times on Sunday.
“This juncao grass is really helpful for us,” Neori Tiko, a worker at the Tadra farm in Nadi, Fiji’s third-largest city, told the Global Times in an earlier interview.
Tadra Farm began developing Juncao technology in 2020, using Juncao grass as horse feed and mushroom production, Tiko said.
The China Pacific Islander Juncao Technology Demonstration Center was put into operation in Fiji in March 2023 and can provide more Juncao technology services to the region, Lin Dongmei, deputy director of the China National Engineering Research Center of Juncao Technology at Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, told the Global Times on Sunday.
“China’s construction of infrastructure facilities in Fiji has laid the foundation for regional development and provided more opportunities for local people. This will ultimately lead to mutual benefits for both countries,” Sun said.
