Parliamentary representatives from five Pacific Island countries pose for a group photo in front of the Scholar's Pavilion in the traditional neighbourhood of Wudian city in Quanzhou, Fujian province on Nov 27, 2023. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Parliamentary representatives from five Pacific Island countries — Niue, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, the Solomon Islands and Tonga — lauded China's economic development practices and demonstrated their willingness to increase cooperation in new areas, including tourism, agriculture and fishery, after visiting Fujian province from Saturday to Tuesday.

Zhuang Jiahan, deputy head of the standing committee of the Fujian Provincial People's Congress, welcomed the parliamentarians in Fuzhou, the provincial capital, on Sunday and introduced them to China's efforts to implement whole-process people's democracy in the province.

He also briefed them on Fujian's achievements in advancing agricultural science and technology and called for deeper exchanges in more fields between Fujian and their nations.

Parliamentary representatives from five Pacific Island countries visit Anta (China) Co Ltd in Jinjiang, Fujian province on Nov 27, 2023. [Photo by Deng Jiahui / For chinadaily.com.cn]

On Sunday, the parliamentarians visited Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University and the China National Engineering Research Center of Juncao Technology.

Juncao is a technology developed by Professor Lin Zhanxi at the university that uses grass to cultivate edible and medicinal fungi.

Kapelieli Militoni Lanumata, a member of Tonga's parliament, lauded the technology, saying that China's commitment to achieving harmony between humanity and nature is a crucial feature of modernization and is a value that should be shared by all.

Papalii Lio Oloipola Taeu Masipau from Samoa expressed his excitement at seeing the rapid socioeconomic development of Fujian, adding that he hopes to gain more experiences from his visit to the province to improve cooperation in the fields of tourism, agriculture and fishery and benefit people in both nations.

The parliamentarians participated in a seminar in Beijing last week that was meant to strengthen legislative exchanges between China and their countries. Before they visited Fujian, they also traveled to Jiangxi province.

The events were organized by the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress, the country's top legislative body, with an aim to help the parliamentary representatives better understand Chinese society in various areas.