The Chinese Government has long respected Fiji’s path of development which is conforming to its own na­tional conditions, says China’s ambassador to Fiji.

Speaking at the capacity building work­shop on Juncao Energy at the Tanoa Inter­national Hotel in Nadi on Monday ambassa­dor Qian Bo said development co-operation with Fiji would be unwavering despite any the changes to international and regional landscapes.

“China’s development co-operation to Fiji is selfless and sincere without conditions,” Mr Bo said.

“It showcases the international responsi­bilities of China, as a major country and the sincere aspiration to build a community with a shared future for mankind.

“China will always be a steadfast and reli­able development partner for Fiji and other Pacific island countries.”

He said Juncao Technology, a Fiji-China agriculture project, could help small island countries develop sustainable agriculture, reduce poverty, achieve Sustainable Devel­opment Goals, cope with climate change and promote renewable energy.

“The Juncao project is multi-functional. It can be applied in mushroom cultivation, livestock forage, biomass and soil preserva­tion,” Mr Bo said.

“The cultivation of Juncao grass helps a number of pasture farmers to alleviate lack of green forage in the dry season.”

To date, he said, the project has trained close to 1000 Fijian farmers and techni­cians.

“China’s foreign aid provides not only ma­terials and infrastructure but also capacity building,” the ambassador said.

China has also helped establish the Rice Technical Co-operation project in an ef­fort to revive the rice industry, and help it achieve self-sufficiency in production, en­sure food security and promote the mecha­nisation of agricultural production.

“There will be no development of the world without the development of agriculture and rual areas in the Pacific small island devel­oping states, including Fiji,” he said.

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