At the invitation of the Chinese Association for International Understanding (CAFIU), Crown Prince Tupouto’a ’Ulukalala and Crown Princess Sinaitakala of the Kingdom of Tonga visited China from December 8 to December 14, 2014.

As the eldest son of the current King Tupou VI of Tonga, Crown Prince Tupouto’a ’Ulukalala has been first in line to the throne since his father ascended to the throne in 2012. The 29-year-old Crown Prince has long been admiring China’s economic and social development as well as the Chinese culture. He also has a fondness for Chinese cuisine, and had already learned how to use chopsticks before he embarked on the trip to China.

The Chinese side placed great importance on the Crown Prince’s first visit. Li Jinjun, Executive Vice-President of CAFIU and Vice-minister of the International Department of CPC Central Committee, made a special trip to Shanghai to welcome the Crown Prince and Princess. CAFIU Secretary-General Ni Jian accompanied the Crown Prince throughout the visit. In Beijing, Li Yuanchao, Member of the Political Bureau of CPC Central Committee and Chinese Vice-President, and Yan Junqi, Vice-chairwoman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and CAFIU President successively met with the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince called on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, visited the Great Wall, the Forbidden City and the National Museum of China, and experienced Chinese tea culture and a seven-stringed traditional musical instrument. In Shanghai, the Crown Prince called on the government of Pudong New Area and had a discussion with one of its officials, and visited Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center and Shanghai World Financial Center. In Shaanxi, Li Xiaodong, Vice-Chairman of the Standing Committee of the People’s Congress of Shaanxi Province, met with the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince also visited AVIC Xi’an Aircraft Industry (Group) Company Ltd. and Shaanxi History Museum, and had a tour around places of interest including the Terracotta Warriors and Horses and the Wild Goose Pagoda.

People-to-people and Cultural Exchanges: An Important Platform for China-Tonga Friendship

In November, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Fiji and had a group meeting with leaders of Pacific island countries that have diplomatic ties with China, including Prime Minister of Tonga Lord Tu’ivakano. President Xi put forward five proposals on developing and enhancing China’s relations with the Pacific island countries under the new situation. One of them is to expand people-to-people and cultural exchanges to consolidate public support for bilateral ties. The Crown Prince’s visit was the first high-level delegation to China from Pacific island countries since President Xi’s visit. Strengthening China-Tonga people-to-people and cultural exchanges was an important purpose of the visit and also one of the most frequently mentioned topics.

When meeting with the Crown Prince, Chinese Vice-President Li Yuanchao said China values the friendship with Tonga and called on both countries to maintain the momentum of high-level exchanges and contacts of all levels and expand cooperation in trade, fishery, civil aviation, health, education, tourism and infrastructure. CAFIU President Yan Junqi welcomed the Crown Prince on behalf of CAFIU and said she believes this visit will enhance the Crown Prince’s understanding of China and push forward friendly relations between China and Tonga. Executive Vice-President of CAFIU Li Jinjun briefed the Crown Prince on the work conducted by CAFIU and said that the Chinese side stands ready to further strengthen the cultural and people-to-people exchanges between China and Tonga. The Crown Prince said he appreciates the purpose of CAFIU “letting the world understand China, and letting China understand the world”, as the best way to promote the world peace and progress is to strengthen people-to-people exchanges and cooperation. He said Tonga-China friendship has gone from strength to strength and the Royal Family of Tonga stands ready to promote the sound and stable development of bilateral ties and strengthen the exchanges with China in culture and education.

Catching a Glimpse of Chinese Culture by Visiting Places of Interest

Although we had already heard that the Crown Prince is fond of the Chinese culture before his arrival, we were still deeply impressed by his intense interest in Chinese history and culture throughout the whole trip. Whenever visiting a historic site, the Crown Prince attentively listened to the guide, watched with great interest and sometimes interacted with the guide. The Crown Prince had a tour of the Great Wall in spite of the chilly wind. Although climbing to the top was not possible because of the weather, the Crown Prince still felt what it was like to be a “hero”, as he walked up along the wall for a while. When sightseeing at the Forbidden City, he asked curiously, “What was a typical day of an Emperor?” After learning that Chinese emperors used to get up very early for the daily meeting with officials and have a very hectic schedule of dealing with state affairs and study, the Crown Prince smiled, “It is not an easy job to be an Emperor in ancient China!” The crowd burst out laughing. In Xi’an, when visiting the world-renowned Terracotta Warriors and Horses, the Crown Prince told us that he had heard a lot of legends and rumors about the Mausoleum of the First Emperor of Qin Dynasty. He asked the staff whether the rumor that a mercury ocean surrounds the Mausoleum is true. The Crown Prince also knew something about the history of the discovery and excavation of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses and was quite amazed that each warrior has his distinct looks.
Deepening Understanding and Exchanges

The Crown Prince is a gracious and polite young man, whose sincerity and modesty leave us with deep impression. At the beginning of the visit, the Crown Prince was a bit quiet, probably because he had just arrived at a completely new place after such a long and tiring journey. But as days passed by, the Crown Prince became more and more relaxed and interacted enthusiastically with us. He told us that it is Asians who were migrating to Tonga several thousand years ago; therefore Tonga and Asia are close. The Crown Princess told us that many people say their two kids look like two Chinese children. The Crown Prince was quite satisfied with the arrangement of the trip. He told us that the three cities he visited during his first trip to China have different features, as Shanghai is the symbol of rapid economic development and modernization of China, Beijing is China’s capital as well as political and cultural center, while Xi’an is the epitome of the country’s time-honored history and splendid culture. It was a great delight for him to see different aspects of China. He said Tonga can learn a lot from China’s abundant experience. When calling on the government of Pudong New Area, he listened attentively to the briefing on Pudong’s development and inquired about Pudong’s measures to encourage entrepreneurship and create jobs in the hope that some of them could be applied to Tonga. As the interaction deepened in the trip, the Crown Prince gained more insight into China, and expressed his willingness to facilitate the mutual understanding and friendship between the peoples of the two countries.

The 7-day visit concluded very soon. As we bid farewell at the airport, the Crown Prince said they had a great week in China and would keep this visit in his memory for his whole life. The visit also left us with fond memories. We sincerely hope that people-to-people and cultural exchanges can push forward the bilateral ties and contribute to the everlasting friendship between China and Tonga!