SUVA, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- Samoa's Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi on Thursday praised China for its assistance to the South Pacific island nation.
According to Radio New Zealand, Tuilaepa said that when China gives assistance, it sees projects through to completion.
The prime minister was not satisfied with some countries for their continued nitpicking of Chinese assistance in the Pacific region.
While stressing that his country should continue to keep the avenues of assistance open, irrespective of who is offering it, the prime minister said what the smaller nations like Samoa worry about is how to fund road or footpath repairs.
In January, Prime Minister Tuilaepa criticized an Australian minister's false accusation of China's aid program in the Pacific, saying that such accusation is "insulting" to the Pacific island leaders, and has the capacity to "destroy" Australia's relationship with the region.
He also spoke highly of China for being better placed to provide the assistance to Samoa than Australia which has long regarded the Pacific island states as its own backyard.
"The kind of assistance provided by China are those kinds which are not within the aid budgets of Australia," he said.
China is always standing firmly together with developing countries including the Pacific island states, and committed to offering assistance and support to them without any political conditions.
