Photos: VCG

Area: The land area is 747 square kilometers, and the marine exclusive economic zone covers 700,000 square kilometers.

Population: 108,000

98% are Tongan, Polynesian, and the rest are other Pacific Islanders, Europeans, Asians and their descendants. There are about 2,000 overseas Chinese. The inhabitants are Christian.

Language: Tongan and English are widely spoken.

Geography: Located in the western part of the South Pacific, west of the International Date Line, and west of Fiji. It consists of the three major islands of Tongatapu, Wawau, Hapa and Eva, Newa, and a total of 173 islands, 36 of which are inhabited and have no rivers. Tonga is tropical rain forest climate.

Independence day: June 4

Capital: Nuku’ alofa

Economy

Mainly in agriculture, fisheries and tourism, the industry is underdeveloped, the productivity level is low, the economic development is backward, and it relies heavily on foreign aid.

GDP: $ 4.4 billion

Per capita GDP: $4,257

Real GDP growth rate: 1.1%

Currency: PA’ ANGA

Head of State: Tupou VI

Politics

Tonga is the only monarchy in the Pacific island countries. The society is divided into three classes: royal family, nobility and civilians. There are 33 hereditary nobility titles in the country. The king is the head of state and has long held the power. In recent years, Tonga has implemented political reforms. The king has delegated the power of state administration and part of the personnel rights, and retained the power of the armed forces to command the military, dissolve the parliament, and no resolutions. The Privy Council is no longer the highest administrative decision-making department and has been changed to the personal advisory body of the king.

Head of State: Tupou VI 

The cabinet consists of ministers including the prime minister and deputy prime minister. The Prime Minister was elected from 26 members of the Parliament, and appointed by the king; the Minister of the Cabinet was nominated by the Prime Minister and appointed by the King. The Prime Minister can nominate four cabinet ministers from outside the parliament.

China-Tonga relations

Photo: Xinhua

China and Tonga established diplomatic relations on November 2, 1998.

In November 2014, Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Tonga Prime Minister Siale ʻAtaongo Kaho at the same time in Nadi, Fiji. The two sides established a strategic partnership of mutual respect and common development.

In November 2018, Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Tonga Prime Minister Akilisi Pohiva in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, to establish a comprehensive strategic partnership of mutual respect and common development.

In 2018, trade between China-Tonga was $25.065 million, down 12.1% year-on-year. Among them, the Chinese export volume was $24.947 million, down 10.7% year-on-year; the import value was $118,000, down 79.7% year-on-year.