The President of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping has pledged to provide $115 millionYuan (36 million Pa’anga) in aid to Tonga.

The pledge was made on November 21 in Nadi, Fiji where the Chinese President, Xi Jinping and his delegation, on his first visit to the South Pacific, had a special meeting with Tonga's Prime Minister Tu’ivakano.

Three aid pledges from China were signed by Dr 'Aisake Eke, Tonga's Minister of Finance and National Planning together with a representative from China agreeing that:

• China will offer 100 million RMB (Yuan or roughly 31 Million Pa’anga) grant aid for Tonga to support important projects.
• China will provide aid in the form of vehicles, consisting of 15 sets of SUVs, 10 sets of cars and 5 sets of medium-buses for the Coronation of   King Tupou VI.
• China will offer 15million RMB in kind, assistance to the Government of Tonga with a package of facilitates to improve its capability to response to the climate change.

According to a media statement from the Chinese Embassy, President Xi noted China and Tonga enjoyed a long history of friendship.

“China cherishes its friendship with Tonga, supports the efforts of the Tongan government in maintaining domestic stability and promoting economic and social reform as well as sustainable development, and stands ready to enhance cooperation with Tonga in infrastructure construction, people’s livelihood, talent training and other fields and help Tonga cope with climate change within the framework of South-South cooperation,” he stated.

While in Fiji, President Xi Jinping signed agreements with Fiji’s President Frank Bainimarama and also announced that China would offer 2.5 billion RMB grant aid to support projects in the Pacific region in the coming four years. China would also provide 2000 scholarships quotas and 50000 quats for study and traning in various fields for Pacific Island countries.

It stated that the bilateral and group meetings with 8 countries had brought China's relations with Pacific island countries into a new stage.