PeopleenjoyleisuretimeinabayintheRepublicofNauru,Jan.18,2024.(Xinhua/WangShen)DuringtalkswiththeNauruanpresident,ChinesePresidentXiJinpingpledgedthattheChinesesideisreadytoworkwiththeislandnationtoexpandcooperationineconomyandtrade,climatechange,aswellasininfrastructure,amongothersectors.BEIJING,March26(Xinhua)--ThePacificislandnationNauruonMondaysignedupfortheBeltandRoadInitiativeinthepresenceofitspresident,DavidAdeang,whoisonastatevisittoChinaonMarch24-29,andChinesePresidentXiJinping.ItisAdeang'sfirstChinatripsincethetwocountriesrestoreddiplomatictiesearlierthisyear.DuringtalkswiththeNauruanleader,XipledgedthattheChinesesideisreadytoworkwiththeislandnationtoexpandcooperationineconomyandtrade,climatechange,aswellasininfrastructure,amongothersectors.Asthetwopresidentsarechartingthecourseforfurthergrowthofbilateralties,aChinese-aidedsolarpowerprojectbeingbuiltwiththeparticipationofnearly100Nauruanworkershasalreadybeguntomakeadifferencetolocalcommunities,alivingtestamenttothefast-growingwin-wincooperationbetweenthetwocountries.AmanworksattheconstructionsiteofredevelopmentprojectofAiwoHarborintheRepublicofNauru,Jan.18,2024.(Xinhua/WangShen)FROMBLUEPRINTTOREALITYNauru,withitsbeautifultropicalsceneryandbrilliantsunshine,isendearinglydubbedasa"pearlofthePacific."Inthesouthwesternpartoftheislandnation,rowsofbluephotovoltaicpanelsareneatlyarrangedclosetotheazuresea,reflectingthedazzlingtropicalsunlight.Onceconnectedtothegrid,thephotovoltaicpowergenerationandenergystorageprojectbeingconstructedbyaChinesecompanycanmeettheelectricitydemandoftheentireisland.TheprojectwillreduceNauru'sdependenceondiesel,bringingdownthecostsinelectricitygeneration,improvinglocalpowersupplyandincreasetheshareofrenewableenergygeneration.Mostimportantly,itwillsignificantlyaddtoNauru'senvironmentalprotectionefforts,therebyachievingitssustainabledevelopmentgoals."NowNauru'spowergenerationmainlyreliesondiesel.That'sexpensiveandwouldpollutetheenvironment,"saidJohnScott,whohasbeenworkingfortheprojectsince2022."Thereisalotofsunshinehereandit'sgoodforsolarpower.Ibelieveelectricitysupplyherewillbemuchbetterwhentheprojectiscompleted,"ScotttoldXinhua.Ontopofbuildingthepowerproject,ChinaHarbourEngineeringCompanyLtdisalsoundertakingtheredevelopmentofNauru'slargestharbor,AiwoHarbor.Startingin2019,theprojecttobecompletedin2025includesharbordredgingandtheconstructionofanewwharf,adesalinationsystemandacontaineryard,amongotherfacilities.AndinSeptember2022,thenewwharfwasputintooperation.Themodernseaporthasalsobroughtcutting-edgetechnologiesandjobopportunitiestotheislandcountry,facilitatinglocaleconomicgrowthbyexpandingitsconnectivitywiththerestoftheworld.ZhuWei,thecontractor'sdeputymanagerandconstructionmanageroftheproject,haswitnessedthedevelopmentofAiwoHarboroverthepastfiveyears."Inthepast,theoldwharfwastoosmallforcontainershipstodockdirectly,andtheyonlycameonceeverytwomonths.Nowthecontainerscandockdirectlyatthenewwharf,andtheycomeeverymonthorevenevery20days,"ZhutoldXinhua.Asthefacilitiesaregraduallytakingshape,Zhuisproudofhiseffortsoverthepastyears."I'mlookingforwardtoseeingtheprojectsIhavepersonallyparticipatedincontributemoretotheeconomicdevelopmentofNauru."TherationalebehindNauru'sdecisiontoresumediplomatictieswithChina"ofcourseisaboutNauru'sdevelopmentstrategy,"LionelAingimea,Nauru'sforeignminister,saidwhenvisitingChinainJanuary."Nodevelopingcountrywantstobeleftbehind,"hesaid.ThisphototakenonJan.20,2024showsacoastalviewoftheRepublicofNauru.(Xinhua/WangShen)"GRASSOFHAPPINESS"BeingaPacificislandnation,Nauruisstrugglingtocopewithsuchpressingchallengesasrisingsealevelsandlanderosionbroughtaboutbyclimatechange.Worsestill,themeagerresourcesoffreshwaterfordailylifeisapersistentconcernforlocalresidents.Duetoitsunfavorablenaturalconditionsforcultivation,Nauruheavilyreliesonimportsofagriculturalproducts,vegetablesandfruits,resultinginhighpricesinthemarket,saidJoannaOlsson,directoroftheGovernmentInformationOfficeofNauru.Juncao,ahybridgrassdevelopedbyChinesescientistsasamajormulti-functionalagriculturalresource,offersafeasibleresolutiontothesewoes.Translatedliterallyasmushroomgrass,Juncaocanbeusedformushroomfarming,oraslivestockforageandpoultryfeed,andagreenbarriertoforestalldesertification.WhenworkingineastChina'sFujianProvincemorethantwodecadesago,XiJinpingintroducedtheJuncaotechnologytoavisitingprovincialgovernorfromPapuaNewGuinea,anotherislandnationinthePacific,markingthebeginningofinternationalcooperationonJuncaotechnology.Havingtakenrootinover100countriesandregionsaroundtheglobe,Juncaohasbeenhailedbythelocalsasthe"Chinesegrass"or"grassofhappiness."Lastmonth,Hess-TekaiFoilape,anagriculturalextensionofficerforNauru'sDepartmentofEnvironment,ManagementandAgriculture,becamethefirstpersonfromNaurutoattendaJuncaotechnologytrainingcourseheldbyChinesescientistsinFiji."IbelievethatadoptingJuncaotechnologyinNauruwouldbehighlybeneficialforourcountry.Potentialimpactsincludeimprovedfoodsecurity,increasedresiliencetoclimatechange,andenhancedeconomicopportunitiesthroughthedevelopmentofnewindustries,"FoilapetoldXinhua.PeopleusefishingnetstocatchseafoodintheseaintheRepublicofNauru,Jan.18,2024.(Xinhua/WangShen)GROWINGTOGETHERBothdevelopingcountries,ChinaandNaurufacethecommontasksofgrowingtheeconomy,improvingpeople'swellbeingandrealizingmodernization.ChinahaswontheheartsofthepeopleofNauruwithitsowndeeds,ForeignMinisterAingimeasaid.Recallinghisvisittoawaste-to-energyplantandanelectricvehiclefactoryinChina,hesaidwhatimpressedhimmostwas"howadvanceditis.""Thetechnologyblewmymind,absolutelyamazing,"hesaid,depictingChina'spathtowardsmodernizationas"fastandvisionary."TheBeltandRoadInitiativebringsdevelopmentopportunitiestoPacificislandnations,saidOlsson,whoisoptimisticaboutfuturecooperationbetweenthetwonations,particularlyonclimatechange,watersupplyandagriculture.InhismeetingwithAdeang,XisaidChinaisreadytoprovideassistancetoNauruforitsindependentandsustainabledevelopmentwithoutpoliticalstringsattached.Friendship,oldornew,willhaveabrightfutureaslongasitisstarted.Cooperation,whateveritssize,willbeproductiveaslongasitissincere,Xisaid.Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.