P.M. visits Chinese school hosting Samoan students

By Adel Fruean in China 25 September 2018, 12:00AM

Prime Minister Tuilaepa Dr. Sailele Malielegaoi has visited a secondary school in China, which is currently hosting a group of students and teachers from Samoa College.

The three teachers and eight students are being hosted by the Hualuogeng Secondary School in Huizhou City in the Guangdong Province. They are participating in a 12-day education exchange programme from September 18-29.

To mark the visit of Samoa’s Prime Minister, the students from Samoa College and Hualuogeng Secondary School performed a Samoan song and a traditional Chinese dance.

Tuilaepa told the students and their hosts that he did not know the extent of the exchange programme until his visit to the school that day.

“It's a pleasure for me to visit your school, an occasion which will manifest the very close cooperation between Samoa and our Huizhou City located in Guangdong. 

“I did not know the depth of this cooperation in terms of the education that has been exchanged, until I came here and witnessed with my own eyes the implementation of this close cooperation. 

 “Samoa College is the very first college that was established by our Samoan Government, and it was from this college that produced some of the best leaders in Samoa. It is a high profile college to be selected for this programme,” he said.

The Prime Minister conveyed his gratitude towards Huizhou City officials for ensuring the exchange programme became a reality after the agreement to establish it was signed in 2015.

“The fact that it has taken place, it has brought up again the leadership that the leaders of the People’s Republic of China have taken in raising the level of living conditions, the welfare of the people from all over the world and it can only happen through this kind of exchange. 

“Exchange of students, of knowledge, of technology, and of course exchange of what is produced by one country to sell to other countries in the famous law of comparative advantage can only bring about equality of people all over the world.

“And on behalf of my own country I want to congratulate the authorities for implementing these initiatives like the student exchange programmes. And for all of you from Samoa, use this great opportunity which you have been given wisely. With your being here, each one of you must be attentive in learning new things. 

“Learn from the Chinese people because they are one of the leading countries in trade, compared to our small country, there's a big world out there,” he said.

The Prime Minister, talking directly to the Samoan students and their teachers, said they should learn the Chinese language and apply the newly-found knowledge back in Samoa. 

“You need to polish up your Chinese language skills, that is the key to learning the knowledge of today due to China being one of the wealthiest countries in the world, let's try and copy from what they are doing and not do what always happens back home which is complaints after more complaints,” he added.

By Adel Fruean in China 25 September 2018, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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