King Tupou VI and Queen Nanasipauʻu meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping and First Lady Peng Liyuan at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, marking the highest-level engagement of the state visit.

King Tupou VI and Queen Nanasipauʻu have begun a week-long state visit to China at the invitation of President Xi Jinping, marking a renewed phase of engagement between Nuku’alofa and Beijing. Their Majesties’ itinerary includes high-level meetings, cultural programmes, and visits to technology and sustainable development centres, reflecting Tonga’s growing partnership with China in areas ranging from agriculture to clean energy.

The visit opened in Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian Province, where Their Majesties received a warm welcome from Zhou Zuyi, Secretary of the Communist Party of China Fujian Provincial Committee. In Fuzhou, they toured the “3820” Strategic Project Exhibition Center, which highlights key policies and development strategies championed by President Xi during his tenure in the province.

The programme underscored the growing practical cooperation between the two nations, particularly in agriculture. At the National Engineering Research Center of Juncao Technology, the King inspected Juncao production facilities and planted a symbolic “Friendship Grass”. He left an inscription stating that “Juncao holds much promise for developing countries like Tonga, because it is a proven cost-effective technology in many other developing nations throughout the world,” signalling its potential role in sustainable agriculture across the Pacific.

Their Majesties also visited the Fujian University of Technology, where an exhibition on Austronesian cultures highlighted the deep historical and cultural bonds shared long before modern diplomatic relations. The themes of heritage and partnership continued as Their Majesties travelled to Ningde, a coastal city recognised for its advances in clean energy and targeted poverty alleviation. After a welcoming lunch hosted by Zhang Yongning, Secretary of the CPC Ningde Municipal Committee, they toured the Museum of Poverty Alleviation, where they observed China’s strategies for addressing development challenges—approaches that resonated with Tonga’s own aspirations for locally-tailored progress.

The visit continued at Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL), one of the world’s leading innovators in new energy technology. With Tonga pursuing an expansion of renewable energy capacity, the engagement offered an opportunity to explore how such technologies might support cleaner power generation and resilient infrastructure across the Pacific.

The third stop on the royal itinerary took Their Majesties to Xi’an in Shaanxi Province, once the eastern starting point of the ancient Silk Road and a cradle of Chinese civilisation. They met with Zhao Yide, Secretary of the CPC Shaanxi Provincial Committee, before touring the Museum of the Terracotta Warriors, where thousands of life-sized clay soldiers stand guard over the mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. Deeply moved by the scale and preservation of the UNESCO World Heritage site, King Tupou VI wrote in the guestbook: “What a wonderful treasure for the world of humanity that China has been entrusted with!”

The state visit continues to Yan’an – a city steeped in revolutionary history and the spiritual heritage of China. This is Their Majesties’ final stop before they travel to Beijing for engagements expected to centre on economic cooperation, cultural understanding, and shared development priorities — signalling a partnership that both nations appear determined to strengthen.

In Beijing, Their Majesties were welcomed with full state honours at the Great Hall of the People, where President Xi Jinping reaffirmed China’s commitment to deepening cooperation with Tonga across development, trade, and cultural sectors. Xi described China and Tonga as “true friends who have weathered storms and braved hardships together,” noting that the comprehensive strategic partnership has continued to strengthen since diplomatic ties were established.