The Secretary-General of the Pacific Islands Forum, Tuiloma Neroni Slade, has voiced hope for a strengthening partnership with China during talks with a senior Chinese official in Beijing.
The Chinese news agency Xinhua reports that Mr Slade met the Chinese State Councillor Yang Jiechi on Tuesday.
Mr Yang says China is willing to work with the Forum to further promote bilateral relations and bring more benefit to people of the two sides.
Mr Slade thanked China for its support and expressed his appreciation for China's role in international and regional affairs.
China is one of the Forum's 14 Dialogue Partners and last year gave it a grant of 650,000 US dollars, mostly towards the organisation's trade and investment office in Beijing.
