By Mataeliga Pio Sioa
Diplomatic ties between Samoa and China is coming up to 46 years this year and to the former Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, the relationship remains cordial.
Samoa has gone through 5 Prime Ministers including Tuilaepa since formal relationships with the People’s Republic of China started in 1976.
With PM Fiame Naomi Mataafa in power it makes it 6 altogether.
Tuilaepa, however, has served the longest as Samoa’s leader working closely with China over his long tenure in office.
Almost all of the assistance Samoa has benefitted from China came during his administration, mainly with infrastructural changes that stands out in the urban landscape of tall buildings in Apia.
The ready response by China to assist with development requests from Samoa raised many international eyebrows including closes neighbours Australia and New Zealand.
Criticisms were made that Samoa was getting too close to China with many wondering what the island country has to offer that attracted support by one of the major world powers.
Tuilaepa knows all about it because members of the international community repeatedly asked him at the personal level.
“What China wanted was our vote in support of issues they raised at an international forum or a personnel they recommend for a senior position at the UN or other international agencies,” he gave as his standard response when asked.
But it is not always the case when asked for Samoa’s vote because there are other international partners who do the same asking as well.
Samoa took a first come first serve position to avoid the stress of having to juggle who to give its vote to and it was well respected by donor partners as close as Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
“There were times when China came in late with their request for our vote after we had already committed to another partner and they appreciate our honest straight forward position.”
Tuilaepa also disclosed the many twists and turns of diplomatic relations that Samoa learnt to avoid for the sake of maintaining good diplomacy with the international partners.
“Our position is that our donor friends and their friends are our friends too, but their enemies are not our enemies.
“When those countries that are not friends with our friends offer to give us support with our developments, only a stupid leader would turn that down.
“It is unavoidable for small countries like us with our little resources to welcome any support for development we can get if it suits our needs.”
This became a standard defense for the former Prime Minister at criticisms of the closer ties seen between Samoa and China.
Tuilaepa, rejected suggestions that the juggling Samoa goes through with the international community to maintain good diplomacy is an art of politics his administration has fined tuned over the years.
“No it is the art of using common sense not politics.”
China’s Ambassador to Samoa H.E. Chao Xiaoliang recently described as growing strong and brighter, the ties between the two countries in their 46 year old relationship.