Relations with China continue to mature
At 9am on Thursday morning the visiting delegation from the Guangdong province General Hospital, paid a call on Prime Minister Hon Henry Puna.
The brief visit to the Prime Minister’s office offered both parties the ideal opportunity to strengthen the already existing mutual relationship between the Cook Islands and the Peoples Republic of China. Met with a warm reception from the Prime Minister, the visit from the delegation from Southern China has already secured for the Cook Islands medical internships with the Guangdong General Hospital, the donation of medical gear and supplies, invitations for both Health and Agriculture Minister Glassie and Prime Minister Puna to the Guangdong Province in the coming months and personal gifts of a hand embroidered tapestry specific to the province and a traditional rice wine.
Puna told the delegation, “It is a matter a pride for my government that in such a short time to strengthen and grow our relationship to such a level and such a quality that we are now behaving really like good old friends.”
Puna acknowledged the sizable amount of assistance the Cook Islands received from China in the recent hosting of the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders conference and also highlighted the $60million tri lateral water infrastructure project between the New Zealand, Peoples Republic of China and Cook Islands government. Puna concluded that this was a sure sign of the maturity of the two countries budding relationship.-Maria Tanner

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