Acting Chinese Ambassador congratulates VMF flag bearers

China’s Acting Ambassador to Vanuatu, Ms. Li Cuiying, has said she shared the same proud feelings with the people of Vanuatu who watched the live broadcast of China’s V-Day parade last week on CCTV News Channel that featured the participation of the Vanuatu Mobile Force flag team.

She said the VMF’s participation in the parade on September 3 when they joined in the march past on Beijing’s Tien’anmen Square, “showed the world not only the grace and majesty of VMF, but also as a symbol of the strong relations be between China and Vanuatu and the two militaries.”

The Ambassador congratulated the seven flag party members: Team leader Lieutenant Bomma Avia, Private Kiason Sogari (female), Lieutenant Fred Kalkaua, Sergeant Johnny Kakor, Warrant Officer Sam Reddy, Warrant Officer Harry George Tari and Sergeant Johnny Sahe on their excellent performance.

She gave her commendations at the Confucius Institute, Emalus Campus of the USP in Port Vila Wednesday before students of the institute that teaches Chinese language who had gathered to meet and hear from members of the VMF flag party.

At that V-Day parade, 12,000 troops, World War II veterans, and nearly 1,000 foreign troops from 17 countries including Vanuatu “marched in the parade marking the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.”

And 31 countries sent military delegation to inspect the parade. For Vanuatu, its VMF Deputy Commander, Terry Tulang, headed the Vanuatu military’s delegation to watch the parade. Most important, Vanuatu Prime Minister Sato Kilman and his wife were among the world leaders of state and government.

Ambassador Li said she could not agree more with Prime Minister Kilman that Vanuatu and China will stand side-by-side to contribute their part to world peace “because any peace-loving people don’t want the tragedy of WWII to happen again.” “That is why Chine holds the Victory Day parade,” she added.

“That is also why we are here to do our part to help forge a stronger bilateral relations and a deeper friendship between our two peoples because all of us love peace and want to maintain the peace for our future generations.”

Present at the occasion were the Deputy Commander of VMF, Lieutenant-Colonel Terry Tulang, Sergeant Major Collin William and Lieutenant Bomma Avia, a group of students from Vila East School who take Chinese classes at the Confucius Institute and two teachers.