Kiribati Ambassador to China calls for cooperation with regard to the building of resilient shores
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E-mail China.org.cn by Liu Mengya, November 10, 2025
A special parallel event concurrent with the 6th International Symposium on Think Tank Science and Engineering –known as the dialogue on “Marine Science & Technology and Industrial Development with Joint Contribution and Shared Benefits” was recently held in Beijing. David Ateti Teaabo, ambassador of Kiribati to China, was in attendance and stated that achieving coastal resilience requires cooperation that is innovative, practical, and grounded in a shared sense of responsibility.
David Ateti Teaabo, ambassador of Kiribati to China
Teaabo noted that, as a marine nation with a fragile environment, Kiribati integrated climate change response measures into its current long-term national development plan, which is known as the Kiribati 20-Year Vision (KV20) and covers the period from 2016 to 2036. The ambassador mentioned four key areas in which the nation seeks to advance cooperation related to coastal resilience with international partners and elaborated on them as follows:
The first is scientific research and monitoring. “Continuous research and monitoring of our atoll island coastal environment are essential. This knowledge base will guide us in understanding the evolving threats from storm surges, waves and erosion,” Teaabo said.
The second is coastal modelling capacity. “Coastal modelling remains one of the most critical gaps in Kiribati. Building the skills of our local coastal engineers in this field will allow us to better understand coastal dynamics and develop informed, sustainable protection solutions,” he continued.
The third is risk-informed planning and design. “Effective and lasting coastal protection must be guided by risk-informed planning. By combining science, modelling, and community needs, we can design solutions that are both practical and resilient,” Teaabo explained.
The last one is sustainable asset management. “Sound maintenance is as important as construction. Poor upkeep of national infrastructure is a challenge that Kiribati faces today. To address this, our Ministry of Infrastructure and Sustainable Energy (MISE) is developing an integrated asset management system to ensure that coastal protection infrastructure is supported by sustainable maintenance programs,” he stated.
Teaabo emphasized that the Government of Kiribati values the transformative impact of China’s cooperation in areas such as infrastructure and sustainable development. Investing in and engaging in coastal resilience together will contribute to the security, resilience, and prosperity of Kiribati in addition to helping to protect communities and livelihoods, he concluded.
The dialogue was organized by the Institutes of Science and Development, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CASISD), the Chinese Association of Development Strategy Studies (CADSS), and the “Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences” – a think tank journal directed and sponsored by the Chinese Academy of Sciences that focuses on strategic and decision-making research and works to promote the overall development of the science enterprise by building a platform for dialogues.
