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Guangdong Friendship Delegation and Art Troupe visit FSM President and Vice President

Palikir, Pohnpei (FSM Information Services): July 20, 2011 - A visiting delegation from Guangdong Province in The People's Republic of China, accompanied by Ambassador Zhang Weidong, paid a courtesy call on President Manny Mori and Vice President Alik L. Alik at 10:00a.m., Monday, July 18.

The visitors are part of a Friendship Delegation and Art Troupe from Guangdong that is undertaking a 7-country tour including the FSM. The FSM is the first among these seven countries to host the visiting exotic arts performers.

In welcoming the visitors to his office, President Mori expressed his appreciation to the Guangdong Friendship Delegation for bringing their show to the FSM which allows our people to have a first-hand experience of China's arts, music, and performing culture.

In attesting to the welcoming enthusiasm and high level of excitement over the event, the President spoke of the huge crowd turnout on Saturday night at the COM-FSM gym in spite of the nearly one hour electricity "black-out" that did not deter the people from enjoying the presence of the rare visit.

According to the President, the performing art show is "one of the ways to further strengthen relations between the FSM and the People's Republic of China, along with cultural exchanges, student scholarship programs, and other mutually beneficial engagements" - the mainstream development partnership between FSM and China.

Mr. Fu Lang, President of the Guangdong People's Association For Friendship With Foreign Countries, through an interpreter, expressed appreciation to the President and Vice President for the opportunity to visibly meet and interact.

In responding to President's mentioning of the unexpected power-cut during the Sunday night exhibition, Mr. Lang commended the President for "being patient and calm" amid the unpleasant interruption - a rare display among Heads of States in similar situations, according to Mr. Lang.

Mr. Fu Lang also briefly enumerated five areas of prospective "partnerships" where he feels his Province of Guangdong, as part of China's commitment to FSM, could be able to engage on a Province-to-State development. These areas include: Cooperation in Tourism, Enhancement of Tuna Industry, Technical Training and College education for Agricultural Industry, Trade Partnership, especially in Commerce, Electronics, and Food Industry, and Infrastructure Development for Power Generation, Road Construction, and Hotel Industry.

President Mori, in acknowledgment of Mr. Fu Lang's remarks, alluded to the fact that the FSM has been formulating a fisheries rehabilitation scheme that is to be supported by China and working on ways to accelerate the enhancement of its tourism market in an environmentally balanced development.

It was pointed out during this meeting that the State of Chuuk and Guangdong Province have signed a MOU of Cooperation and established "Friendly Relation" that will eventually create a "sister-ship" between the two local governments.

"Guangdong is open-minded to establish good relationship with all the states of the FSM", Ambassador Weidong had expressed during the welcoming ceremony for the visiting group hosted by China Embassy last Friday.

The Friendship Delegation and the Art Troupe conducted their events at the China-FSM Friendship Sports Center at COM-FSM Palikir Campus on the evenings of July 16 and 17. The group will perform at the Saramen Chuuk Development Center on Weno Island, Chuuk, the late morning of July 20.

For more information, please contact the China Embassy at 320-5575 or the FSM Department of Foreign Affairs at 320-2641.