PARIS (Pacnews) — French Polynesia’s President Gaston Tong Sang, while in France last week, held talks with Paris-based Chinese Ambassador Jinjun Zhao to further discussions on the approved destination status for the French Pacific territory.
The issue, along with the trade of Tahiti black pearls, has been the subject of many visits and negotiations in the past few years between the two countries.
French Polynesia has been requesting the Chinese government’s approved destination status for the past five years.
In past months, talks on the much sought-after status were described as being in their “final implementation” stages.
But a decision has to be made either from Paris, between the metropolitan French government and its tourism ministry and the Chinese Embassy in Paris, or from Beijing, between the Chinese government and the French embassy in China, the French high commission pointed out.
In late 2005, Tong Sang’s predecessor, Oscar Temaru, announced that the French Pacific country would get the approved destination status during the first half of 2006.
Other South Pacific island destinations have since obtained the much sought-after label, including Fiji, Vanuatu and the American Pacific territories of Guam and the Northern Marianas.
China officially become a member of the South Pacific Tourism Organization in April 2004.