20 at CPC Pacific Islands Political Parties meeting

Two speakers, two deputy speakers, two ministers, one governor and one lieutenant governor are among 20 people representing political parties from six Pacific Island Countries taking part in this year’s Fifth Workshop between the Chinese Communist Party (CPC) and Political Parties in those countries. The workshop has started in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province Tuesday.

The six Pacific island countries involved this year are Papua New Guinea, Cook Islands, Solomon Islands, Samoa, Federated States of Micronesia and Vanuatu.

Vanuatu has representatives for the National United Party, People’s Progressive Party, Graon mo Jastis Party, and Green Confederation by its Vice President, the Minister for Youth and Sports Development, Toara Daniel Kalo.

The leader of Cook Islands two-member delegation is Vainetutai Brown (Ms), MP for Cook Islands Party and Deputy Speaker of the House. The other is Ben Micah, Leader of the People’s Progress Party, and the Minister for Public Enterprises and State Investments who will join the delegations in Beijing.

The PNG delegation is led by Johnson Tuke — Deputy Leader of the People’s Progress Party, Vice Minister for Public Enterprises and State Investments, and includes Jim Kas – Governor of Madang Province, Moses Kar – Secretary General of the PPP and two others in the 8-man delegation also of the PPP.

Members of the Federated States of Micronesia’s 3-man delegation are: Innocente Oneisom (Mr.) – Speaker of Chuuk State Legislature; James Yangetmai – Lieutenant Governor of Yap and Jack Harris, Speaker of the Kolonia Town Council in Pohnpei

Samoa is represented by two women led by Fiame Naomi Mataafa, MP for Human Rights Protection Party and Minister of Justice and Courts Administration Courts, who has been in Parliament for 30 years since 1984. The other is Alise Faulalo-Stunnerberg, National Consultant of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community.

Solomon Islands has Sir Thomas Ko Chan, President of the United Democratic Party and managing director of Honiara Hotel and he is accompanied by his wife, Diana Yates.

On Monday afternoon, the Vanuatu and Cook Islands delegates – the first to arrive, visited the Chen Clan Academy, a historical building of the Guangdong people dating back to the Chen Dynasty, courtesy of the International Affairs Office of the Guangdong People’s Government.