His Excellency Mr. Cao Xiaolin leaves Tonga this week having served as Chinese Ambassador to Tonga for the past 4 years. He is probably the most experienced Chinese diplomat who has worked in Tonga.
He first came to Tonga as an embassy worker twenty five years ago when the two countries established diplomatic relations. After this first stint in the kingdom, he left and then was commissioned to come back four years ago as China’s ambassador to Tonga.
Mr. Cao, in an interview with the Talanoa ‘o Tonga, said that the guidelines of common understanding initially by the heads of states, King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV and President Xi Jinping, have established a “comprehensive strategic partnership featuring mutual respect and common development.”
“Later in a telephone meeting between Tonga’s Monarch and China’s President in 2021, guidance was provided for the embassy to work harder for cooperation in various fields,” Mr. Cao said.
He gave the example of the rapid response to the Hunga Tonga – Hunga Ha’apai eruption and the consequential tsunami. China provided helicopters and ships to help the government in bringing relief.
In August 2023 the naval hospital ship Ark Peace visited Tonga giving 7000 people medical treatment. It was the ship’s third visit to Tonga, and hailed by Tongans “a story of our times” and “a milestone of the friendship between Tonga and China.”
“The people relationships are very close. They have laid a foundation for people to benefit, as in the Tonga High School sports facility being built; wind farms for alternative energy… and this helps with the climate change issue being a top priority for the government of Tonga.”
“China provided useful assistance in the area of food security… food production being very important to Tonga. China provided more than 100 tractors that people used for land development over the past 3 years.”
“In the past 4 years, our staff have visited 100’s of families in need, provided water tanks, small assistance of money to raise crops and rear animals; and also provided boats for small islands development. These kinds of assistance to people developed friendship at the grassroots level,” Mr. Cao told Talanoa ‘o Tonga.
“China is encouraging investments in Tonga in things like ocean farming, for produce that Tonga can sell to China. Products like mokohunu (sea cucumbers) are in high demand in China. And Tonga is known to produce the best tasting mokohunu in the world,” Mr. Cao said.
He also said tobacco is another product that can be produced in Tonga for China. It is believed that Tongan tobacco is one of the best in quality in the world.
Mr. Cao said that there are so many things that need investments to be produced in Tonga for export to China.
“This way,” he said, “there can be more high paying jobs in Tonga which will help solve the problems of local shortage of labour from labour mobility to other countries.”
“When the exports increase, the Tongan pa’anga is stronger. But when there is declining export, the pa’anga looses value.”
“I’m confident that the China-Tonga relations will achieve new progress and bring tangible benefits to the two peoples in the second decade of the 21st Century.”
But nothing can be more complementary for Tonga when the departing ambassador told Talanoa ‘o Tonga: “We call Chinese Tonga relationship a role model for China Pacific relationship.”
“The two countries are in constant communication, and we have a close partnership that both parties value. It is a win-win situation for both countries!”
Me’a ā Ambassador Cao Xiaolin! You are always welcomed in Tonga!
