China reaffirmed its commitment to climate change resilience and environmental protection in the Pacific by providing a US$200,000 voluntary financial contribution to the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme.

The Chinese government has been providing this funding for some years now.

The donation was formally presented on Wednesday. Chinese Ambassador to Samoa, Fei Mingxing, handed over the cheque to SPREP Officer-in-Charge Clark Peteru.

Ambassador Mingxing said the contribution reflects China’s ongoing support for SPREP, which dates back to 1998. He noted that the Pacific islands are among the regions most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and acknowledged the serious challenges they face in responding to those threats.

“As an important partner, China is committed to providing assistance and support within the framework of South-South cooperation to help the region combat climate change and jointly contribute to the building of a community with a shared future for humanity,” Mingxing said.

He also expressed appreciation for SPREP’s work in strengthening climate resilience and protecting the region’s environment, pledging China’s continued engagement in pursuit of a shared future.

In response, Peteru said the Chinese government’s contribution plays an important role in enabling SPREP to address climate change, biodiversity loss, waste and pollution, and sustainable development challenges across the region.

The funding provides essential organisation-wide support, strengthening SPREP’s capacity to assist its Pacific island members with climate resilience initiatives, high-level engagement at COP meetings, improved communications, staffing and capacity-building efforts, and core governance processes within the Secretariat.