China and Solomon Islands waive visas to facilitate people-to-people exchanges

China and the Solomon Islands have signed an agreement to waive visa requirements for each other's citizens, according to the Chinese Embassy in the Solomon Islands on Thursday. 

Chinese Ambassador to the Solomon Islands Cai Weiming and the Foreign Minister of the Solomon Islands Peter Shanel Agovaka, represented both governments to sign the agreement, with Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands Jeremiah Manele attending the signing ceremony, the embassy said in a statement.

Cai said that this agreement ushers China and Solomon Islands into the era of full visa-free access, which will significantly facilitate the public to visit each other's countries, contributing to the cooperation between the two countries in various fields.

Manele expressed his gratitude to the Chinese government for its positive responses to the Solomon Island's requests, emphasizing that the agreement represents a milestone in the relationship between the two countries.

The Solomon Islands boasts favorable tourism resources, including aquaculture, making it highly attractive to Chinese tourists, Chen Hong, director of the Australian Studies Center of East China Normal University, told the Global Times on Thursday.

Also, with recent years seeing island trips become increasingly popular among Chinese tourists, the two countries waiving each other's visas provides the Solomon Islands with an effective boost to its economy, Chen said.

Additionally, visa exemptions between the two countries further facilitate the exchange of people engaged in both import and export trade, which in turn will enable Chinese consumers to access the Solomon Island's high-quality products and services, said Chen. At the same time, it will also provide the South Pacific country with access to resources from China, Chen added.

Cai, the ambassador, said that China upholds the concept of a global community of shared future and is willing to work with the Solomon Islands to support each other and achieve mutual success, so as to jointly realize modernization. Manele said that the Solomon Islands will continue to firmly adhere to the one-China principle and join hands with China to build a global community of shared future.