Timely assistance from China for Tonga’s national reconstruction
Remarks by by H.E. Cao Xiaolin, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the Kingdom of Tonga, at the Handover Ceremony of the Heavy Plant Machinery Grant Aid from the Government of the People’s Republic of China to the Government of the Kingdom of Tonga, on Friday Feb.11, 2022.
The event was attended by Hon. Hu'akavameiliku, Prime Minister; Hon. Poasi Tei, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for MEIDECC; Hon. Fekitamoeloa ‘Utoikamanu, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism; Hon. Toumoua, Minister for Infrastructure, and other Cabinet Ministers, Mr. Edgar Cocker, Chief Secretary & Secretary to Cabinet, and guests.
“Tonga is experiencing a triple blow in the wake of the volcanic eruption with the tsunami and the first outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic. It is a challenging time and a time of need for Tonga.
“The Chinese Government and the Chinese people have been standing firmly with the Tongan Government and the Tongan people ever since the volcanic eruption on 15th January, 2022. China has provided US$1.3 million in cash and relief aid items with a total value of more than RMB¥33 million (around TOP$12 million). Some of the relief aid items have arrived in Tonga via two aircraft and two fishing boats two weeks ago, but the bulk of them will arrive in Tonga by a Combined Task Group of Chinese navy ships [on Feb. 15]. The relief items from China include food, water, foldable beds, tents, portable houses, farm tractors, power generators, and PPE.
“Today, we are hosting a very significant event, i.e. the handover ceremony of the heavy plant machinery, which is a grant aid from the Government of the People’s Republic of China to the Government of the Kingdom of Tonga. This heavy plant machinery includes 119 pieces of construction machines, such as rollers, loaders, excavators, bulldozers, tractors, trucks and so on, with a total value of RMB¥73 million, which is about TOP$26 million. It goes without saying that these machines arrived at a right time and will be critical for the national reconstruction in the wake of the natural disasters.
“At this difficult time for Tonga, China’s prompt humanitarian relief assistance together with the grant aid of heavy plant machinery are vivid examples of the cordial relationship, the close friendship and the enduring partnership between China and Tonga. This timely support from China is also an important symbol that the Chinese people and the Tongan people are good cousins, good brothers and sisters.
“There is a Chinese saying: ‘difficulty is the nurse of greatness’. It means that one needs to go through trials and tribulations to be strong. We all know that those who experienced misfortunes in their life usually are strong-willed people. This saying can be applied to a country. History has told us that a great country must have gone through many sufferings. A country, who has overcome successive waves of trials, will become more resilient and much stronger in its national development and building.
“Many Tongan friends have told me in pride that Tonga has a glorious history and a unique identity in the world. My understanding on this pride is that Tongan people have your national spirit, which includes optimism, wisdom, perseverance, bravery and so on. The firm determination by the Tongan Government and the Tongan people to conquering the current tests of nature has demonstrated to the world that Tonga is a strong-willed and resilient country. Tonga has received sympathies after the volcanic eruptions. More importantly, Tonga has won the trust and applause from the international community in coping with all these unprecedented challenges. We are confident that, with concerted efforts, the Tongan people will have a better homeland out of the natural disasters. Thank you very much.”
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Tokoni taimi tonu mei Siaina ki he langa fakapule‘anga ‘a Tongá
Me‘a ‘a e Tangata‘eiki ‘Amapasitoa Siaina ki Tongá H.E. Cao Xiaolin. ‘I he foaki atu ‘o e Ngaahi Mīsini Māmafa ko e Tokoni mei he Pule‘anga ‘o e Lēpapulika ‘o e Kakai Siaina ki he Pule‘anga FakaTu‘i ‘o Tongá. Falaite, 11 Fepueli 2022.
Tapu mo e Palēmia ‘o Tonga, Hon. Hu‘akavameiliku; Tokoni Palēmia pe koe Minisitā ki he Meiteki, Hon. Poasi Tei; Minisitā ki Muli mo e Folau ‘Eve‘eva, Hon. Fekitamoeloa ‘Utoikamanu; Minisitā ki he Fetu‘utaki, Hon. Sevenitiini Toumo‘ua; Kae‘uma‘a e kau Minisitā ‘o e Kapineti, Edgar Cocker, Sēkelitali Pule mo e Sēkelitali ki he Kapineti.
“ ‘Oku lolotonga fakaakeake ‘a Tonga mei he ngaahi mātangi tō takutaku ‘e tolu, ko e puna ‘a e mo‘unga afi, sūnamí mo e ‘uluaki fuofua māfola ‘a e māhaki faka‘auha Covid-19. Ko e ngaahi pole lālahi eni ki Tonga pea ko e taimi eni ‘oku fiema‘u lahi ai e tokoni.
“Talu mei he puna ‘a e afí ‘i he ‘aho 15 ‘o Sānuali 2022, mo e tu‘u fakataha pē ‘a e Pule‘anga Siainá mo e kakai ‘o Siainá mo e Pule‘anga Tonga mo e kakai ‘o Tongá. Ne ‘osi foaki ‘e Siaina ‘a e kesi pa‘anga ‘Amelika ‘e $1.3 miliona pea mo e ngaahi koloa tokoni na‘e fe‘unga fakakātoa mo e pa‘anga Siaina ‘e 33 miliona (fakafuofua ki he pa‘anga Tonga ‘e $12 miliona). Kuo ‘osi a‘u mai e konga ‘o e ngaahi koloa tokoni ‘i he vakapuna ‘e ua, pea mo e vakatahi ‘e ua he uike ua kuo ‘osi, ka koe konga lahi ‘e toki a‘u mai ki Tongá ni he ngaahi vaka ‘a e Tautahi Siainá, ‘oku ui ko e Combined Task Group of Chinese Navy Ships. Ko e ngaahi koloa kó eni ‘oku kau ki ai ‘a e me‘akai, vai, ngaahi mōhenga ‘oku lava pe ‘o to‘o holo, tēniti, ngaahi fale ‘oku lava pe ‘o hiki holo, palau mo e ngaahi senolēita, PPE(Personal Protective Equipment - Ngaahi teunga mālu‘i) mo e ngaahi koloa kehekehe pē.
“ ‘I ‘ahó ni, ‘oku mau talitali kimoutolu ki hono faka‘ilonga‘i e foaki atu ‘o e ngaahi mīsini māmafa kó eni, ko e konga ia ‘o e tokoni ‘a e Pule‘anga ‘o e Lēpapulika ‘o Siainá ki he Pule‘anga FakaTu‘i ‘o Tonga. Ko e ngaahi mīsini māmafa kó eni, ‘oku kau ai ‘a e ngaahi mīsini langa hangē ko e lola, lōuta, mīsini keli, pulutōusa, pālau, loli mo e ngaahi mīsini kehe, ‘oku fe‘unga kātoa hono mahu‘ingá, mo e pa‘anga Siaina ‘e 73 miliona (fakafuofua ki he pa‘anga Tonga ‘e $26 miliona.) Ko hono mo‘oní ne tau mai e ngaahi mīsini kó eni ‘i he taimi totonu, pea ‘oku fu‘u fiema‘u ia ki he ngaahi langa ‘a e Pule‘anga Tonga, lolotonga kó eni e fakaakeake ‘a Tonga mei he ngaahi fakatāmaki fakanatula kuo tau toki situ‘a mei ai.
“ ‘I he taimi faingata‘a kó eni ‘i Tonga, ‘oku hoko e tokoni ‘ofa kó eni ‘a Siainá fakataha mo e ngaahi mīsini kó eni, ko e fakatātā ia ‘o e vāofi mo e tolonga e vā fakakaume‘a ‘o Siaina mo Tonga. Ko e tokoni kó eni ‘a Siaina ko e faka‘ilonga mahu‘inga ia ke fakahaa‘i ‘a e nofo fakatautehina mo e fakatokoua ‘a e kakai ‘o Siainá mo e kakai ‘o Tongá.
“ ‘Oku ‘i ai ‘a e lea ‘a e kau Siainá ‘oku pehē: ko e faingata‘á ko e neesi ia ‘o ‘ete hoko ko e lahí. Ko hono ‘uhingá, ‘oku fiema‘u ke te fou atu ‘i he ngaahi fehalaaki mo e ngaahi faingata‘a ke te hoko ai ko ha taha mālohi. ‘Oku tau ‘ilo kōtoa pē ko kinautolu na‘a nau faingata‘a‘ia ‘i he‘enau mo‘ui, ‘oku nau hoko ko e kakai kātaki lahi. ‘Oku lava pē ke tau ngāue‘aki ‘a e lea kó eni ki ha fonua. ‘Oku talamai ‘e he hisitōliá ko e ngaahi fonua ongoongoa ‘i māmani, na‘a nau fononga mai he ngaahi peau faingāta‘a, ‘o mālava ai ke nau matu‘uaki vave e ngaahi faingata‘a pea mo toe mālohi ange ‘i he‘enau langa hake mo e fakalakalaka fakafonua.
“Tokolahi hoku ngaahi kaungāme‘a Tonga, ne nau fakamatala mai ‘enau laukau he hisitōlia ‘o Tongá ni, pea mo ‘ene laulōtaha ‘i māmani. ‘Oku ou mahino‘i ko e laukau kó eni ko e laumālie fakafonua ia ‘oku ma‘u ‘e he kakai Tonga, ‘oku kau ki ai ‘a e ‘atamai maama, poto fakapotopoto, kītaki lahi, loto to‘á mo e ngaahi ‘ulungaanga pehē. Ko e loto ma‘u na‘e ma‘u ‘e he Pule‘anga Tongá mo e kakai ‘o Tongá ‘o ikuna‘i ai ‘a e fakatāmaki fakaenatula kó eni, ‘okú ne fakahaa‘i ki māmani ko Tonga ko e fonua ‘oku nau kītaki lahi, pea mo lava ‘o matu‘uaki vave ‘a e ngaahi faingāta‘á. Ne lahi ‘aupito e ngaahi pōpoaki fie kaungā māmahi mai mei he ngaahi pule‘anga muli ‘i he hili e puna ‘a e mo‘unga afi. ‘Oku toe mahu‘inga foki mo e fālala mai mo e pasi nima ‘a e ngaahi fonua mei tu‘apule‘anga, ‘i he anga hono fakafetaulaki‘i ‘e Tonga ‘a e ngaahi pole ta‘e‘amanekina kó eni. ‘Oku tau tui fakapapau pē, ko e ngāue fakatahá mo e uoūangatahá, te ne lava ‘o fakafoki mai ha Tonga ‘oku toe lelei ange ke hoko ko e fonua mo e ‘api ma‘a hono kakai, ‘i he hili e ngaahi fakatāmaki kó eni. Mālō ‘aupito.
