Local residents attend the launching ceremony of a China-aid agricultural project to PNG, in Goroka of the Eastern Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea, August 20, 2019. File Photo: Xinhua

The first meeting of China-Papua New Guinea (PNG) Joint Economic and Trade Commission was held online on Thursday, where the two countries vowed to strengthen their pandemic cooperation and in-depth development of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative(BRI), read a statement from China's Ministry of Commerce.

This is also the first economic and trade mechanism meeting between China and a country in the Oceania region since the outbreak of pandemic. 

PNG is China's largest economic and trade partner in the Pacific Islands region and the first country in the region to sign a memorandum of understanding and cooperation plan for BRI projects with China, said vice Commerce Minister Wang Shouwen.

Wang noted that economic and trade cooperation between the two countries is in the ascendant. China is willing to continue to strengthen pragmatic cooperation in various fields with PNG to push economic and trade relations to a new level and benefit the two peoples.

The two sides also agreed to continue to strengthen international cooperation in the fight against the epidemic, deepen integration of BRI with PNG's major strategies, accelerate the joint feasibility study of a free trade zone between the two countries, deepen trade and investment cooperation, expand economic and technological cooperation, and strengthen communication and coordination under regional and multilateral frameworks.

During the online meeting, the two parties jointly witnessed the signing of the handover document of Chinese government's aid of anti-epidemic material to the PNG; East China's Fujian Province will also assist PNG's Eastern Highlands Province during the fourth phase of an agricultural project. 

The meeting also announced the completion of PNG's national submarine optical cable project supported by Chinese funds.