The People’s Republic of China (PRC), in partnership with the Ministry of Rural Development (MRD), delivered a maritime transportation project worth $1.5 million to West Makira Constituency (WMC) on 4 September 2026.
Funded through the PRC’s Rural Sustainable Development Program (RSDP) and implemented by MRD, the project supplies 17 fibreglass boats and 18 outboard motor engines (nine 40hp and nine 30hp units).
The project intended to strengthen key development sectors including health, education, fisheries and agriculture, while easing transportation challenges for remote maritime communities.
The assets were received by West Makira’s Constituency Development Officer (CDO), Selwyn Aharo, on behalf of the Member of Parliament for WMC, Minister Derrick Manu’ari, and the constituency’s beneficiaries from Counsellor Li Qinghua, representative of the Chinese Embassy in Solomon Islands.
Speaking on behalf of Hon. Minister Manu’ari, who was unable to attend due to national duties, CDO Aharo described the handover as one of the constituency’s most significant development milestones, with benefits expected to ripple through the health, education, fisheries and agriculture sectors.
“This project is a physical reality that will immediately transform livelihoods, enhance rural health delivery, support educational mobility, and boost our local economic sectors,” he said.
Mr Aharo thanked the PRC government and people, as well as the Solomon Islands Government through MRD, for facilitating the support.
“By funding the RSDP, you have listened to the cries of our rural communities and targeted the exact areas that drive rural life: healthcare access, educational support, sustainable fisheries, and agriculture,” he said.
He explained that the funding has enabled the constituency office to procure transport and logistics assets deployed across four community pillars. Beneficiaries include Aringana, Ubuna, Waikaha, Apaoro and Maetawa health clinics; Tawatana, Haura and Sogotiwa Community High Schools and eight families involved in fishery and agriculture associations.
Mr Aharo said, the boats and engines will allow medical staff to carry out emergency referrals, transfer critical patients, and conduct outreach more effectively.
“Schools will be better equipped for student transport, administrative operations and the delivery of educational supplies. For fisheries and agriculture, the assets will enable fishermen to reach deeper waters safely and transport their catch to market, while farmers gain improved means to move tools, crops and produces, strengthening food security and local trade.”
CDO Aharo also acknowledged MRD for its technical oversight and policy direction in ensuring rural development funds reach grassroots recipients, and called on all recipient groups to treat the equipment as communal assets requiring responsible maintenance.
He reaffirmed the constituency’s commitment to Minister Manu’ari’s vision of a self-reliant, healthy and economically vibrant West Makira, describing the $1.5 million investment as a catalyst for unity and continued growth.
The West Makira Constituency Office extended its thanks to the PRC, MRD, and congratulated all recipient groups on the successful handover.
Counsellor Li Qinghua congratulated the constituency office and beneficiary institutions, describing the event significant in meaning.
“Today’s ceremony is another tangible symbol of the enduring friendship and deepening cooperation between our two countries,” she said.
Ms Li noted that China and Solomon Islands have been top trade partners since establishing diplomatic relations in 2019, with total trade exceeding US$4.2 billion — including over US$2.7 billion in Solomon Islands exports to China, resulting in a trade surplus of more than US$1200 million for Solomon Islands.
She also pointed to the two countries’ cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative and in the medical sector, noting that the China-donated Comprehensive Medical Centre (CMC) has treated more than 15,000 patients since opening, including several breakthrough surgeries.
Reflecting on China’s broader philosophy of international partnership, Li said: “The 190 countries and regions in the world — we are not in separate boats; we are on one huge boat, so we should work together for the shard future.”
She added that RSDP’s implementation prioritises community safety and ensuring maximum benefit reaches the people of West Makira.
She described RSDP as one of China’s “small yet smart” projects supporting Solomon Islands’ socio-economic development, and reiterated the handover as further evidence of practical cooperation strengthening bilateral ties.
The programme’s core purpose, she said, is to improve the country’s social and economic development, alongside China’s commitment to capacity-building and knowledge transfer.
Li also highlighted China’s success in lifting 800 million people out of poverty by the end of 2020, expressing hope to share that experience with Solomon Islands.
“This experience of China’s poverty alleviation is so fresh because it is only six years ago. So, we would like to share this experience with Solomon Islands, because sharing is caring. We would like to work together for a better world, for a better future for our next generation,” she said.
Speaking on behalf of the government, Permanent Secretary of MRD John Misite’e acknowledged the PRC’s sustained commitment to RSDP and to improving the lives of Solomon Islanders, as well as the trust placed in MRD to implement the programme.
“This delivery is an achievement resulting from the national government’s partnership with PRC, facilitated by the provision of resources through the RSDP programme to support the rural development policies of the Solomon Islands Government,” he said.
“On behalf of the Government, I would like to acknowledge PRC for the ongoing support toward RSDP and the government. This programme is a testament of the friendship between the two governments.”
Misite’e also commended Minister Manu’ari for his leadership and continued support of rural development policies within his constituency.
The ceremony brought together representatives from the Chinese Embassy, MRD officials, community leaders, chiefs, church elders and recipient representatives from clinics, schools, and fishery and agricultural groups across the constituency.
The RSDP is a partnership between the PRC and the Solomon Islands Government, implemented jointly by MRD and the Chinese Embassy since 2023 on a proposal-based model. It aligns with China’s Global Development Initiative, including the Belt and Road Initiative, and supports Solomon Islands’ National Development Strategy (NDS) 2016–2035.
RSDP primarily targets rural and semi-urban communities, aiming to strengthen social and economic infrastructure, promote income-generating activities, and address food security and climate resilience. Other constituencies have received similar support under RSDP Phase 2.
