Beijing Embassy without a vehicle

The Vanuatu Embassy in Beijing, China has no vehicle and it has been without a vehicle since its establishment nearly ten years ago.

The concern for this situation was told to the Minister of Youth and Sports, Toara Daniel, and the Vanuatu delegation to the 5th Workshop of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Leader of Political Leaders of Pacific Island Countries, by the Charge d’Affaires of Vanuatu Embassy, Willie Toama.

Toama said that not having a vehicle for the office was a real problem because the embassy badly needed a vehicle for official use.

He said often times he used his personal vehicle to do official tasks because of the lack of an official embassy vehicle.

“Past (Vanuatu) ambassadors who were here have had also relied on their own vehicles and when they left office they either sold or took their vehicles home with them,” he added.

It is reported that former Ambassador and current Finance Minister Willie Jimmy was one who brought his car with him to Vanuatu after he completed his three-year term in Beijing.

“Using personal vehicles for official duties sometimes do not look good when we have to drive the ambassador or a visiting Vanuatu dignitary around and there is no Vanuatu flag on the vehicle to show respect for the official passenger in the vehicle,” Charge d’Affaires Toama added.

Minister Daniel and the Vanuatu delegation shared the concern of the Charge d’Affaires about the lack of an official vehicle for the embassy.

But due to the current “cash-strapped” situation of government they encouraged Toama to look at legal ways, with the approval of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through which to meet this genuine need.