Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has extended an invitation to Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit Fiji next year, marking what Rabuka describes as a significant milestone in the relationship between Fiji and China. The two leaders met in Beijing, where Rabuka emphasized the importance of their relationship, which has flourished for 49 years. He reaffirmed the strong ties that have developed between the two nations over time. President Xi recognized the bilateral relationship as a model of respectful and cooperative engagement between large and small countries, and he expressed a desire to build a community with a shared future for China and Fiji. Notably, Rabuka and Xi had previously met in San Francisco last November.