Celebrating the 45th Anniversary of the People's Republic of China and Barbados

Senator Dr. the Most Honourable Jerome X. Walcott Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Barbados Bridgetown Your Honourable, On the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the People’s Republic of China and Barbados. I wish to extend my warm congratulations and best wishes to you.

Barbados is China’s good friend and good partner in the Caribbean region. Since the establishment of the diplomatic relations between our two countries 45 years ago, under the personal care and guidance of the leaders of our both countries, bilateral ties have made remarkable progress. Our two countries have continuously deepened political mutual trust, carried out fruitful pragmatic cooperations and maintained close communication in international and regional affairs. Facing with COVID-19 pandemic, China and Barbados have worked together with solidarity and mutual assistance to tide over the difficult time, adding new connotations to the traditional friendship between our two countries.

China attaches great importance to the development of ChinaBarbados relations. China is ready to take the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations as an opportunity to further enhance bilateral cooperation, advance the friendly exchanges in various areas, and work together to create a better future for China-Barbados relations.

Wang Yi State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China

The letter of congratulation from H.E. Wang Yi, State

Councilor and Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of China to Senator Dr. the Most Honourable Jerome X. Walcott, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Barbados on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Barbados.

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His Excellency Mr. Wang Yi Minister of Foreign Affairs Beijing The People's Republic of China Excellency

It gives me great pleasure to highlight that Barbados and the People's Republic of China are celebrating the 45th year of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our two countries. On this happy occasion, I would like to extend to Your Excellency as well as the Government and people of the People's Republic of China, my sincere congratulations.

Over the past four and a half decades, relations between our two countries have flourished. Those relations are based on mutual understanding of and respect for one another, and on the shared aspirations for our people.

Together, we have made significant achievements, fostering close cooperation bilaterally as well as in the regional and international fora.

Bilateral economic cooperation is expanding and so too are our cultural, scientific and educational ties. In addition there are also increasing investment links and people-to-people contacts, and these have all redounded to the benefit of our two countries.

The global pandemic has challenged us all and I take this opportunity to thank the Government of the People's Republic of China for all of the assistance it has rendered to Barbados to combat COVID-19. China has contributed tremendously to bridging the international immunity gap and strengthening international cooperation in fighting COVID-19.

This year is not only an excellent opportunity to celebrate our important milestone and accomplishments, but also a good occasion to reflect and further invigorate our bilateral relations and cooperation. On this note, I wish to reaffirm our commitment to bringing Barbados-China relations even closer.

I am confident that we share a common vision and a common resolve in this regard.

Please accept, Excellency, the assurance of my highest consideration.

Sen. Dr. the Most Hon. Jerome Walcott, FB, MBBS, FRCS, JP The letter of congratulation from Senator Dr. the Most Honourable Jerome X. Walcott, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Barbados to H.E. Wang Yi, State Councilor and Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of China on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Barbados.

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On the evening of July 13, 2021, President Xi Jinping had a phone conversation with Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley, Q.C., M.P..

Xi Jinping pointed out that Barbados is China’s good friend and good partner in the eastern Caribbean. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Barbados 44 years ago, the two countries have witnessed constant high-level exchanges and fruitful cooperation. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, China and Barbados have pulled together and jointly overcome the difficulties. As the pandemic continues to spread around the world, we are duty-bound to help our friends in need. China will continue to strengthen cooperation with Barbados in such areas as vaccines and medical treatment to help Barbados overcome the pandemic at an early date.

Xi Jinping stressed that both China and Barbados adhere to putting the people first. China is ready to strengthen exchanges of experience in national governance with Barbados, expand practical cooperation in infrastructure and other areas and push China-Barbados relations to a new level. China is ready to continue to provide assistance within its capacity for Barbados’s economic and social development.

The two sides should strengthen coordination and cooperation in international affairs to safeguard the common interests of developing countries. The Belt and Road Initiative has created a lot of opportunities for common development. China is ready to work with Barbados and other Caribbean countries to promote the joint construction of the Belt and Road. He hopes that Barbados will make positive contributions to the cooperation between China and the Caribbean Community and the development of China-Latin America relations.

Mottley expressed her sincere congratulations on the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC). She said, under the foresight and strong leadership of General Secretary Xi Jinping, China has successfully achieved the first centenary goal and lifted itself out of absolute poverty. She believes and wishes that under the leadership of the CPC, China will make even greater achievements on its new journey to achieve the second centenary goal.

Barbados is glad to have such a friend as China and is willing to strengthen bilateral pragmatic cooperation and multilateral communication and coordination with China, jointly build the Belt and Road and push for greater development of Barbados-China relations and Latin America-China relations. She thanked China for its valuable assistance in Barbados’s fight against COVID-19. Barbados opposes politicizing the issue of the origin tracing of the virus, appreciates China for its positive contributions to promoting the equitable distribution of vaccines among developing countries, and hopes to strengthen vaccine cooperation with China.

Phone Conversation between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley, Q.C., M.P.

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PULLING TOGETHER, MOVING FORWARD Political mutual trust will help lift ChinaBarbados ties to a higher level The People’s Republic of China established diplomatic relations with Barbados on May 30, 1977. As a Chinese saying goes, “A bosom friend afar brings a distant land near.” Despite the geographic distance between the two countries, China and Barbados share a long history of friendship and are likeminded true friends, good partners and brothers.

Since the two countries established diplomatic relations 45 years ago, the bilateral ties have kept developing and the cooperation has borne fruit in various fields, setting an example of mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit and common development for the relations among big and small nations.

President Xi Jinping and Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley had a phone conversation in July 2021, in which they reached a series of important consensuses, charting the direction for the development of ChinaBarbados ties.

The two countries have developed solid political mutual trust. China and Barbados respect each other’s national independence,

s ov e r e i g nt y and territorial integrity, and understand and support each other on issues related to each other’s core interests and major concerns. Barbados has always adhered to the one-China principle and the Chinese side firmly supports Barbados in independently choosing a national system and development path suited to its national conditions and history, and safeguarding the country’s legitimate rights and interests.

Bilateral cooperation has been deepening.

China is the fourthlargest source of imports for Barbados. In 2019, the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative.

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and Cheapside Public Market built with China’s assistance are playing important roles in local economic and social life. Other China-aided projects, the Center for Food Security and Entrepreneurship and the Hope Agriculture Training Institute, are set to start construction. The Harrison’s Cave built by Chinese companies has become a famous tourist attraction of Barbados.

The Sam Lord’s Castle Hotel and Scotland District Road Rehabilitation Project, with preferential loan of China, have made steady progress. “Made-inChina” electric buses have helped Barbados become the country with the largest electric bus fleet in the Caribbean, contributing to local carbon emissions reduction and sustainable economic and social development. At the same time, Barbados rum has gradually become popular among Chinese customers, and more Chinese people visit the picturesque Barbados.

After the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley exchanged letters to

express support to each other.

China and Barbados have joined hands to go through the hard times. China has provided 30,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines and 14 batches of urgently needed anti-pandemic materials to Barbados. The Chinese side announced it will donate anti-pandemic and medical supplies to Barbados and other Caribbean countries having diplomatic relations with China at the Foreign Ministers’ Meeting among China and the Caribbean Countries Having Diplomatic Relations with China, which was held online not long ago. China has sent medical teams to Barbados since 2016, and about one in every 10 Barbadian people have received medical services from the Chinese medics.

People-to-people connectivities and cultural exchanges have never come to a halt. China has sent Chinese language teachers to Barbados since 2011 and Chinese has been taught as a foreign language by the Cave Hill Campus of the West Indies University. About 100 Barbadian students have furthered their studies in China with the scholarship of the Chinese government in recent years, becoming messengers of friendship and exchange between the two countries.

A Confucius Institute was officially inaugurated at the

Cave Hill Campus of the West Indies University in 2015. A growing number of Barbadian people study Chinese language and culture there. Lushan Primary School in China’s Hunan province and Charles F Broome Primary School in Barbados have established sister school relations.

The Fish and Dragon Festival launched by the Chinese Embassy in Barbados and the Central Bank of Barbados, as well as cultural activities to celebrate the Chinese Spring Festival have been held for eight years in a row. They have also become brand events in Barbados and even the Caribbean region and are well received by local people.

As the world is facing with the complex situation where

major global changes unseen in a century compounded by a once-in-a-century pandemic, the global economic and social development and security situation are undergoing complex and severe challenges. Under the guidance of the spirit of the phone conversation between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley, China and Barbados will firmly stick to the right direction of bilateral relations, maintain the momentum of high-level exchanges, continuously enhance political mutual trust, promote the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative, jointly implement the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative, and lift the ChinaBarbados ties to a higher level so as to enable their cooperation to benefit the two peoples and jointly build a ChinaBarbados community with a shared future.

H.E. Yan Xiusheng, Ambassador of The People’s Republic of China to Barbados

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TOGETHER CULTIVATE NEW ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN THE BILATERAL AGENDA It is with a sense of deep satisfaction that I extend my congratulations to Barbadians and to Chinese as we celebrate the 45th Anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Barbados and the People’s Republic of China.

On May 30, 2022 we mark the accomplishment of this special milestone and Barbados is pleased to renew its commitment to the maintenance of a relationship based on mutual respect and cooperation between our people and the government and people of China.

Forty-five years ago, the government of Barbados’ second Prime Minister, the late Jon Michael Geoffrey Manninghan Adams embarked on the sovereign decision to establish diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China. Barbados was among the first group of English-speaking Caribbean countries to make this historic step in support of the One China Policy.

The Barbados-China friendly relations have passed the test of time and have always been distinguished by mutual respect and the pursuit of shared values between our people. Today, the development of these relations with China is one of the priorities of our foreign policy.

Our Prime Minister, the

Honourable Mia Amor Mottley and President Xi Jinping, during a telephone conversation in July 2021, committed both countries to strengthening the relationship between Barbados and China.

They also discussed the need for the two sides to strengthen coordination and cooperation regarding international affairs to safeguard the common interest of developing countries.

The onset of COVID-19 created many challenges, but it also greatly strengthened relations between Barbados and China.

At the outset of the pandemic, Barbados had challenges with access to protective equipment, medical supplies and vaccines. We joined our efforts in combating the pandemic, receiving valuable assistance from China.

Barbados is grateful for the generous assistance provided by the Chinese government of vaccines and PPE equipment and supplies which greatly aided our response to the pandemic.

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Over the course of our forty-five-year journey, although the distance separates us and our countries differ in size, history, culture and social systems, we have been able to forge a relationship that includes a number of cooperation agreements.

Frontiers for development have been created with the new concept of the Silk Road in the format of the Belt and Road Initiative. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Agreement between Barbados and China was signed in February 2019. Since then, significant progress has been made in advancing relations between our countries. The BRI has become the impetus for fostering connectivity, mobility and people-to-people contacts. The opportunities of diverse cooperation within the framework of this initiative have their particular place in our agenda and are of great interest for Barbados.

China's technical and economic assistance has helped Barbados in areas such as healthcare, education and agriculture, for which we are very grateful. We have already benefitted from China’s cooperation with our infrastructural development.

In February 2022, the

Government of Barbados signed an agreement with the Chinese government to rehabilitate soil erosion and land slippage in the Scotland District of the island. Other notable projects include, the Garfield Sobers Gymnasium, Sam Lord’s Castle Hotel and the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre (LESC).

Another jewel in the crown of bilateral relations between Barbados and China is in the area of education. In spite of the recent challenges with pursuing face-to-face tertiary studies, China continues to provide Barbados with a number of scholarships to ensure that we continue to educate the next generation. Over the years, many of these students have gone on to become successful entrepreneurs, academics and professionals. At present, almost 100 Barbadians have pursued higher education in China.

Barbados is grateful for the generous assistance provided by the Government of the People’s Republic of China of computers and other equipment to the Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training (METVT).

Most recently, in May 2022, the Chinese Embassy donated 50 laptop computers which will assist the Ministry in continuing to respond to the educational needs of teachers and students.

The education sector in Barbados was the beneficiary of the generosity of China in 2017 when the Ministry of Education received a donation of tablets, laptops, desktops and furniture for distribution to all schools. To date, this donation, remains the largest donation of electronic devices by any one entity to the Ministry of Education in Barbados.

The University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus is also the home in Barbados to the Confucius Institute, which was established in 2015. Through the Confucius Institute, several

Barbadians have been exposed to various elements of Chinese language and culture.

This has taken place at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels with students now pursuing Chinese Minors at the University of the West Indies (UWI).

This programme aligns with the policy of the government of Barbados to ensure that Barbadian children under the age of 18 are given the opportunity to become bilingual by 2030.

In addition, collaboration in education is ongoing between the UWI, Cave Hill Campus and the Global Institute of Software Technology (GIST). The students are cohorts of the UWI-China Institute of information Technology (UWI-CIIT) Bsc. Software Engineering Programme. They are pursuing a dual degree in software engineering, with 2 years in Barbados and another 2 at the Global Institute for Software Technology in Suzhou, China.

In 2020, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and the Embassy of Barbados in Beijing had the good fortune of collaborating with the UWI students and one of their administrators to aid the Barbados Overseas Missions to collect information regarding nationals. The need for this platform was necessitated during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The students helped to develop

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an online registration system of travelling nationals and Barbadians living abroad which has since been incorporated into the website of Barbados’ Foreign Affairs Ministry.

Another outstanding example of close Barbados-China interaction has been in the advances to promote people to people exchanges.

Barbados and China concluded an agreement abolishing the need for visas for all persons including holders of diplomatic, official or ordinary passports who are visiting either Barbados or China.

Although the current situation with the pandemic has temporarily complicated this travel, we remain hopeful for the eventual return to these regular exchanges.

Over the years, the bilateral relationship has been strengthened by many commercial and business activities and the visits of highlevel dignitaries to China from Barbados and vice versa. These activities and visits confirmed the view in Barbados that China is an important strategic partner that can assist Barbados in finding new economic and social opportunities that support the development of our country and deepen mutual understanding and friendship.

The impact of our friendship over these 45 years is further evidenced in the provision of training opportunities and critical support to our health sector. China has provided human resource training programs for Barbadians in various fields including governmental officials, who have taken part in the short-term training courses in China.

In addition, medical teams from China have contributed to strengthening cooperation between Barbados and China in the area of public health as part of the Agreement on the Assignment of Chinese Health Care Personnel to Barbados. We salute the Chinese medical teams, including doctors and nurses that have been of service to Barbados and our people!

Cooperation in agriculture has been recorded during these years. This was marked in 2021 by the signing of a Memorandum

of Understanding (MOU) on Agricultural Cooperation between Barbados and Hunan Province. The areas of cooperation between our two sides include exchanges of training opportunities, academic scholarships, medical staff deployment, and infrastructural projects, such as the Hope Agricultural Training Institute in St. Lucy and the Centre for Food Security and Entrepreneurship at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus.

Most recently, the Barbados Agricultural Management Company (BAMC) Ltd. received a new sugarcane harvester from Hunan province. It was donated

by Zoomlion Heavy Industry Sciences and Technology Company Ltd. which is the largest manufacturer of heavy equipment in China, and the sixth largest in the world.

The government of Barbados commits to continuing to work with China and to provide support in the regional and international fora. We look forward to comprehensive partnership with China in areas of strategic interest to Barbados and the Caribbean Community within the context of the CELAC mechanism; climate matters, security, poverty reduction, support for the programmes of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and low-lying coastal countries, and agriculture and food security.

I pay tribute also to the public and private sector officials of both of our countries, and people from all walks of life who worked so hard, not only at making this a working relationship but also one which, in many ways, has been exemplary, reaping benefits for both countries. Our Ministries of Foreign Affairs, the Barbados Embassy in

Beijing, the Association for Barbados-China Friendship (ABCF), the Chinese Association of Barbados, and the Chinese Embassy in Barbados must be recognized for their contribution to the noble goal of building a strategic partnership between Barbados and China.

As the Ambassador of Barbados to the People's Republic of China, in addition to pursuing the highest level of understanding, mutual support and cooperation at the political and economic levels, I am committed to ensuring that more people of our two nations come to better know one another at the social, cultural, and educational levels.

Looking forward, we express our willingness to join efforts with our Chinese counterparts to continue to build on the excellent foundations that have been established over the last 45 years of our engagement. Let us endeavour to continuously reinvigorate our cooperation and together cultivate new accomplishments in the bilateral agenda.

H.E. Hallam Henry, Ambassador of Barbados to the People’s Republic of China

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Refresh and Reload Symposium in celebrating the 45th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between China and Barbados & the 3rd Anniversary of ABCF

On May 25, the Chinese Embassy in Barbados and the Association for Barbados-China Friendship jointly held an online symposium with the theme of “Refresh and Reload: Strengthening the Cooperation under the framework of Global Development Initiative” to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Barbados as well as the 3rd anniversary of ABCF. The distinguished guests reviewed the fruitful achievements during the past 45 years, and dicussed the roadmap to build a higher level of ChinaBarbados relations which will benefit the people of both countries and lead to the China-Barbados community with a shared future.

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A glimpse into the Agenda

On April 6, the Confucius Institute at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill, Barbados, held an online award ceremony for the "2022 China In My Eyes" painting competition. It featured on the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Barbados.

The participants showcased their works, introducing their design philosophy and highlighting the core elements in the paintings, such as pandas, Olympics torches, etc.

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Group photo of the Association for Barbados-China Friendship

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On 30 May 1977, the People's Republic of China and Barbados formally established diplomatic relations.

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On 27 June, 2022, the Celebratory Concert, co-organised by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China and the Chinese Embassy in Barbados, and undertaken by Guangdong National Orchestra, with the participation of renowned Barbadian singers and students from Lushan Primary School and Charles F. Broome Primary School was broadcast virtually.

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On April 29, the Confucius Institute of The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus held a virtual event entitled "A journey of a 1000 miles begins with a single step: Tales of the Teaching of Chinese Language and Culture in Barbados", to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the People’s Republic of China and Barbados.

The event witnessed the gathering, interaction and camaraderie of many past, present and in some cases, future friends of both China and Barbados. Areas in which these forms of exchange were most easily observed include, but are certainly not limited to, the software major exchange program between the Suzhou Institute of Technology and UWI (commonly known as the SWEN program), the creation of the sister school program whereby various primary schools in Barbados would be matched with various elementary schools in China, the continued efforts of the local Confucius Institute to disseminate knowledge of Chinese culture and lifestyle throughout Barbadian society and the shared efforts of both Barbados, the Caribbean and China in the ongoing war against the COVID- 19 pandemic.

A journey of a 1000 miles begins with a single step, even after 1000 miles, the shared journey between China and Barbados has only just begun.

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