Six senior officers from the Ministry of Rural Development (MRD) have successfully completed a bilateral training seminar on ‘Rural Development’ in China last Friday.
The program was held from October 9th to 31st, 2025, at the Institute of Administration and Management (AMI) in Beijing, a training and research institution of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) of China.
The government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), through its Ministry of Commerce, funded the program with the aim of enhancing communication and cooperation between the two nations.
It focused on key areas of rural development, including agricultural production, processing, and distribution; climate-smart agriculture; e-commerce; and the critical role of infrastructure in economic growth.
The officers’ participation was coordinated through the Chinese Embassy in Honiara and the Solomon Islands Government via the Ministry of Agriculture. Other participating ministries included the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Traditional Governance, the Ministry of Provincial Government, and representatives from the private sector.
The training seminar featured intensive training sessions and field visits to major high-tech agricultural companies and enterprises in Beijing and other provinces of China.
The MRD senior officers include:
- Charles Laua, Constituency Development Officer for Fataleka Constituency
- George Stuart Baiabe, Constituency Development Officer for Rennell/Bellona Constituency
- Bobby Siarani, Constituency Development Officer for West Kwaio Constituency
- John Kinnie Ngili, Constituency Development Officer for South Choiseul Constituency
- Timan Tiks Tauni, Constituency Development Officer for East Makira Constituency
- George Balairamo, Deputy Secretary of Technical
The participation of MRD officers is part of the ministry’s ongoing efforts to capacitate and equip its officers with the technical skills needed to implement constituency development programs and initiatives nationwide effectively.
The training provided opportunities for participants to gain a better and deeper understanding of China’s achievements, policies, and experiences in poverty alleviation and rural agricultural revitalization.
“Having lifted over 800 million people out of poverty in the past four decades, China offers a valuable model for the Solomon Islands.
“Lessons learned will be crucial for informing and advancing rural development priorities and the Solomon Islands Government’s policies for National Unity and Transformation,” said MRD Deputy Secretary of Technical (DST) George Balairamo.
The program also offered an invaluable opportunity for officers to learn about China’s approaches to rural construction, infrastructure, and technological innovation. It also strengthened exchanges with Chinese experts and scholars, laying a foundation for future pragmatic cooperation.
“As part of the training, delegates undertook field visits to observe China’s rural modernization initiatives firsthand. These included an automated layer farm and various eco-tourism sites in Beijing. The delegation also traveled to Nanjing City in Jiangsu Province, where they met with officials from the Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences and the China-Pacific Islands Countries Agricultural Cooperation Demonstration Centre.
“In Jiangsu, visits included demonstration farms, a tea culture village, rural tourism sites, a tropical fruit cultivation eco-park, a brine duck production company, and a modern agricultural enterprise. Further visits to key agricultural production companies took place in Hefei City, Anhui Province.
“These field trips facilitated the exchange of ideas with local officials, agribusiness managers, and tourism operators, while also allowing participants to experience China’s rich culture and history,” Mr. Balairamo stated.
Meanwhile, Mr. Balairamo, on behalf of the ministry’s management, expressed gratitude to the Chinese Embassy in Honiara, the Chinese government, and the Institute of Administration and Management (AMI) in Beijing for making the training possible, enabling officers to acquire the necessary technical skills and knowledge to advance rural development priorities in their respective constituencies for the betterment of the country.
The contributions from the PRC Embassy underscore the growing partnership between the two nations, rooted in mutual respect and a shared vision for inclusive development.
