Kubuabola visits top Chinese academy

Fiji's minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola yesterday visited the China Executive Leadership Academy in Pudong (CELAP) in Shanghai and held discussions with its vice president, Jian Haishan.

CELAP is China's Premier Executive Leadership Training Academy, providing training to top bureaucrats and politicians in China on the dynamics of the country's socio economic development.

The Minister's visit to CELAP is a follow on from the visit to Fiji recently of one of the top political figures in China, Mr Wu Bangguo, the chairman of the Standing Committee of the Nationals Peoples of Congress of the People’s Republic of China.

“I took the initiative to visit CELAP to further pursue the proposal for assistance to seek Chinese expertise and technical assistance for development of Executive Level Leadership training and capacity enhancement of our public officials,” Kubuabola said in a government statement.

“The development of dynamic, effective and responsive leadership is part of Fiji's Charter for Change, Peace and Progress and the Roadmap,” he said.

“We would like to vigorously pursue training and capacity building programme and my visit to CELAP was to explore opportunities for collaboration between our public service and that organization.

 He also visited and held discussion with Yang Jiemian, President of Shanghai Institute of International Relations on possibilities for collaboration in training and capacity building of public officials in diplomacy and international relations.

Ratu Inoke was accompanied by H.E. Esala Teleni, Fiji's Ambassador to China, H.E. Isikeli Mataitoga, Fiji's Ambassador to Japan, Parmesh Chand, Permanent Secretary for Public Service Commission and Esala Nayasi, Director Political and Treaties Division in Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

By Reginald Chandar