Enduring friendship
China and Brunei have built on their long friendship to lift ties to a new high
China and Brunei have built on their long friendship to lift ties to a new high
China and Brunei, a nation known as the "abode of peace", are friendly neighbors facing each other across the sea. Over 600 years ago, the king of Brunei, known in ancient Chinese books as Boni, traveled to China, leaving behind a great story in the history of bilateral relations. The two sides officially established diplomatic relations 31 years ago to carry forward the tradition of bilateral friendship and further bilateral cooperation. In recent years, there have been many grand and joyful events between the two countries. Since I became the Chinese Ambassador to Brunei, I have personally experienced and witnessed the new developments in bilateral relations and cooperation in various fields in the new era, and I have felt the close ties and friendship between the peoples of the two countries.
The first major event was President Xi Jinping's state visit to Brunei in November 2018 with bilateral relations upgraded to a strategic partnership of cooperation. President Xi's visit has set an example of equality in the relations between all countries and charted the general direction for the two sides to build a community with a shared future. President Xi also developed a profound friendship with Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei. Hassanal has reaffirmed, in every meeting with Chinese leaders, that Brunei will always adhere to the one-China principle.
The second major event is that Brunei Sultan's attendance at the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing in April 2019. The high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative is the consensus of leaders from both countries. Brunei is a founding member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. The two countries have signed a memorandum of understanding and cooperation plans on jointly promoting cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative. With opportunities ushered in from the initiative, the economic, trade and investment cooperation between the two countries has continuously secured new breakthroughs. China is Brunei's largest source of foreign direct investment, and flagship projects such as the refinery and petrochemical complex jointly invested by Hengyi Group and the Brunei government, and the Muara Port jointly invested by the two sides have become new highlights of bilateral cooperation and a new driver of Brunei's economic growth. The Temburong Bridge, part of which was undertaken by Chinese enterprises, is a symbol of Brunei's modernization and fulfills the long-cherished wish of the Brunei people for a century.
In recent years, there have been many joyful events in the relations between the two countries. The leaders of the two countries designated 2020 as the China-Brunei Year of Tourism, an event that was extended to 2021 due to the pandemic. The year 2021 marked the 30th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations and the 30th anniversary of ASEAN-China dialogue relations, for which the two sides held a series of celebrations. Although many activities were held online due to pandemic-related restrictions, the two sides have always attached great importance to the development of bilateral relations, and Brunei has also actively supported the development of China-ASEAN relations. In 2021, Brunei served as the rotating Chair of ASEAN, and President Xi and the Sultan of Brunei co-chaired the commemorative summit for the 30th anniversary of the establishment of ASEAN-China dialogue relations. This was the first time that a Chinese head of state has participated in an ASEAN-China summit. Brunei made positive contributions to upgrading ASEAN-China relations to the level of a comprehensive strategic partnership.
The new developments and breakthroughs of bilateral relations, built on the profound bond and friendship of the two peoples, have laid a solid foundation for cooperation. As I work and live in Brunei, the local people often speak to me of the traditional friendship that has lasted for hundreds of years. The stories of Zheng He, the great Chinese navigator of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), is well-known to every household in Brunei. All ethnic groups in Brunei, including the Chinese, have always lived in harmony and stability like brothers. The people in Brunei generally have a positive view of China. According to the latest survey report of the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute this year, 73 percent of Bruneian people believe that the China-Brunei relations will be strengthened or significantly strengthened in the next three years, ranking at the forefront of ASEAN countries. Before the pandemic, Brunei, with its blue sky, blue sea and gorgeous sunset, had become an increasingly popular destination for Chinese tourists, and China had become an important source of tourists to Brunei. Bruneian people like to shop in China and are very familiar with Chinese e-commerce platforms such as Taobao. More and more Bruneian students choose to study in China. A steady flow of Brunei's high-quality exports is being shipped to the Chinese market. The cooperation between the two countries has brought increasingly tangible benefits to the peoples of both sides.
Although exchanges between the peoples of the two countries have been hit by the pandemic, the cooperative bonds and friendship between the two sides have become even more valuable. At the early stages of the pandemic, some Bruneian people who we had never met before came to the embassy and made donations to China. Some Bruneian children supported China through singing and writing. These actions touched us deeply. The Bruneian government donated $500,000 to China to support the nation's fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. After the outbreak of the pandemic in Brunei, the Chinese government, enterprises, embassy and people worked together and donated medical supplies and testing kits to Brunei. The first batch of COVID-19 vaccines obtained by Brunei was a present from President Xi to the Sultan of Brunei. Some Chinese companies helped Brunei build an emergency response platform for anti-pandemic information, and some Chinese companies helped Brunei build the first mobile nucleic acid testing laboratory in Southeast Asia. An article in the Diplomat magazine applauded China's support to Brunei in fighting against the pandemic, saying that China's overseas vaccine distribution was vital to the recipient countries in curbing the spread of the virus. "In the case of China and Brunei, there is a good deal of symbiosis between a provider and recipient state."
No matter how the global and regional situation evolves, the China-Brunei relationship will surely see more grand and joyful events and the two sides will keep writing new chapters in bilateral friendship as long as both sides adhere to mutual respect, treat each other as equals, continuously enhance mutual trust, and actively promote cooperation.
Contact the editor at editor@chinawatch.cn.
