On April 5, 2006, China and 8 Pacific island countries signed an Action Plan of Economic Development and Cooperation at the first ministerial meeting of China-Pacific Island Countries Economic Development & Cooperation Forum held in Fiji.

The meeting is held from April 5 to 6. Ministers from the People's Republic of China, the Cook Islands, the Republic of the Fiji Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Niue, the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, the Independent State of Samoa, Kingdom of Tonga and the Republic of Vanuatu attended the meeting and signed the Action Plan on behalf of their respective government. Australia and New Zealand also sent delegates to the meeting.

The ministers expressed admiration on the current economic and trade cooperation between China and the Pacific island countries and firm confidence that with the joint efforts of governments in the region there remains great potential to expand the economic and trade cooperation. The ministers also noted that China and the Pacific island countries have distinctive characteristics of economic growth and agree to establish the economic and trade partnership on the basis of equality and mutual benefit, complementarities with each other's advantages, mutual respect and trust. They believe that the establishment of the China-Pacific Island Countries Economic Development & Cooperation Forum is beneficial to the win-win cooperation among the countries in such economic activities as trade and investment and agree that guided by the Action Plan the economic and trade cooperation between China and the Pacific island countries should neither influence the regional integration process nor hinder those countries to fulfill their obligations under any international treaty.

The ministers said that bilateral consultation should be improved through increasing high-level exchanges of visit and contacts among governments and the consultation between senior officials of China and the Pacific island countries so as to identify new areas and ways of economic and trade cooperation and discuss and set up the multilateral consultation mechanism on economic and trade issues. China and the Pacific island countries should strengthen cooperation and support within such multilateral trade frameworks like the World Trade Organization and coordinate their stance wherever possible. They also agreed to set the expansion of trade between China and the Pacific island countries as the common objective of all the participating countries. China and the Pacific island countries should reach bilateral trade agreements in line with the international trade rules on the basis of equality and mutual benefit and actively implement such agreements.

On the issue of investment and business cooperation, the ministers agreed to work hard to improve the investment environment of their respective country, build the legal framework beneficial to promoting and protecting investment and encourage the investment cooperation between enterprises through measures including signing and implementing the bilateral agreements on promoting and protecting investment and avoiding double taxation. They also agreed to take the universally recognized steps to promote the cooperation between China and the Pacific island countries in the agricultural sector including fishery.

The Action Plan also requires promoting cooperation of the participating countries in such fields as tourism, transportation, finance, project and infrastructure construction as well as the development and utilization of natural and human resources.

The meeting decided to hold the ministerial meeting of the Forum every 4 years regularly. The second ministerial meeting of China-Pacific Island Countries Economic Development & Cooperation Forum will be held in Beijing, with the major task of examining and assessing the achievements of the first meeting. The following meetings will be held in turn among the participating countries of China-Pacific Island Countries Economic Development & Cooperation Forum.