NASSAU, BAHAMAS — China and The Bahamas will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries this month.
Last month, a Foreign Ministers’ Meeting was staged between China and nine Caribbean Countries that hold diplomatic ties, via videoconference.
The April 28 meeting was co-chaired by State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Acting Prime Minister Reginald Austrie of Dominica, and was attended by Antigua and Barbuda, the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, Barbados, the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, Jamaica, the Republic of Suriname, and the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
“China and Caribbean countries enjoy long-standing friendship,” said Wang.
“The two sides are good friends, good partners and good brothers. Since the beginning of diplomatic relations between the two sides 50 years ago, especially President Xi Jinping’s meeting with leaders of Caribbean countries having diplomatic ties with China in 2013, our comprehensive cooperative partnership has deepened and cooperation in various sectors has yielded fruitful outcomes, setting a good example of countries pursuing common development on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit.
Wang continued: “China will continue to provide economic and technical assistance to Caribbean countries without any political conditions, focusing on supporting key projects that the Caribbean side cares about, vigorously develop projects that benefit people’s livelihood, and promote practical technologies such as Juncao. China has decided to donate anti-epidemic and medical supplies to the Caribbean countries having diplomatic relations with China, and to the Secretariat of the CARICOM, set up a China-Caribbean Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Fund, and provide more government scholarships to Caribbean countries.”
Seven consultations at the vice-foreign minister level have been held between the foreign ministries of China and Caribbean countries that have established diplomatic relations with China since 2002.
The last consultation was held in Beijing in February 2019. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19, China and nine Caribbean countries with diplomatic ties have held two special meetings at the vice-foreign ministerial level in response to the COVID-19 outbreak in May and December 2020. Those meetings brokered consensus on issues such as anti-epidemic and climate change.
At last month’s meeting, the participants comprehensively reviewed the achievements in China-Caribbean diplomatic relations over the past 50 years since the inception of the ties.
Discussions focused on the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and envisioning bilateral and multilateral cooperation in the post-COVID era, and the participants conducted in-depth exchange of views and reached extensive consensus on advancing the building of an even stronger China-Caribbean community with a shared future.
“The first is to enhance political mutual trust, continue to support each other on issues concerning each other’s core interests, and advocate and practice genuine multilateralism,” read a press statement.
“The second is to jointly promote post-pandemic economic recovery, promote the improvement and upgrading of practical cooperation. The third is to strengthen anti-epidemic and medical cooperation, improve public health governance, and build a China-Caribbean health community. China will continue to provide anti-epidemic materials and vaccines to Caribbean countries until the epidemic is finally overcome.”
The statement continued: “The fourth is to establish a multi-interactive people-to-people exchange pattern, and actively consider the orderly restoration of personnel exchanges after the epidemic. China will increase the number of government scholarships for Caribbean countries. The fifth is to work together to address the challenge of climate change. China fully understands and supports the legitimate and reasonable concerns of small island states, and is willing to jointly promote the establishment of a fair, reasonable, cooperative and win-win global climate governance system.”
“The sixth is to further strengthen policy communication between China and Caribbean countries.”
According to the statement, Chinese officials are willing to hold the Eighth Round of Consultations between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China and the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the Caribbean Countries Having Diplomatic Relations with China as early as possible.
Other goals include plans to hold the Second China-Caribbean Conference on Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Cooperation, and discuss with the Caribbean side on the holding of the Fourth China-Caribbean Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum, with arrangements for Special Envoy of the People’s Republic of China for Caribbean Affairs to visit Caribbean countries soon.
The Caribbean participants thanked China for its long-term selfless assistance to the economic and social development of the Caribbean countries, especially the strong support for the response to natural disasters and the fight against the COVID pandemic, and expressed that China is a reliable and important development partner of the Caribbean countries. The Caribbean participants firmly adheres to the one-China policy, supports China in safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Caribbean participants appreciate China’s upholding fairness and justice in international affairs and practicing genuine multilateralism, and are willing to strengthen solidarity and cooperation with China to jointly address global challenges such as climate change.
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