On 16 October 2026, H.E. Yao Fei, newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to the Republic of Kiribati, arrived in Tarawa, the capital of Kiribati, to assume his new post. Dr. Tearinaki Tanielu, Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration of Kiribati, held a welcome ceremony for H.E. Yao at the airport. Hon. Minister Bootii Nauan for MHMS, Hon. Minister Tekeeua Tarati for MISE, Hon. Minister Martin Moreti for MOJ and Hon. Minister Alexander Teabo for MICT, as well as senior diplomats of the Chinese Embassy, attended the ceremony. Representatives of the Chinese expert teams, Chinese enterprises and the Chinese community in Kiribati, among others, also attended.

Local elders, following traditional etiquette, warmly welcomed H.E. Yao upon his arrival in Kiribati, presented him with a garland and offered him coconut water, and sincerely wished him a smooth tenure in Kiribati. 

H.E. Yao delivered brief remarks at the airport and had friendly exchanges with the Kiribati dignitaries present. He noted that over the seven years since the resumption of diplomatic relations between China and Kiribati, the two countries have consistently upheld mutual respect and equality, supported each other on core interests and major concerns, and served as a model of peaceful coexistence and mutually beneficial cooperation between large and small countries. H.E. Yao expressed his readiness to work closely with the Government and communities of Kiribati to fully deliver on the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries and steer China-Kiribati relations toward steady and enduring growth.