Prime Minister Simpson Miller Hails Jamaica-China Relations

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Portia Simpson Miller, has hailed the longstanding diplomatic relations which Jamaica shares with the People’s Republic of China, spanning some 41 years.

Speaking during a special luncheon hosted by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) for Jamaica’s delegation currently visiting the Asian nation, in Beijing, on Friday (August 23), Mrs. Simpson Miller noted that over the past 10 years, China’s relations with Jamaica and other Caribbean states has yielded significant benefits.

These, she said, include: increased trade, development assistance, and direct investments, adding that Jamaica and China are “strengthening and deepening our trade and economic co-operations”.

Prime Minister Simpson Miller noted President, His Excellency Xi Jinping’s proposal, during their meeting earlier in the week, that both countries explore the possibility of improving cooperation in culture, education, sports, and tourism.

“I was very touched by his statement to me about Jamaica. He was deeply impressed with the Jamaican people’s love for the Chinese culture. The Government of Jamaica welcomes increased people to people exchanges with China as well as the promotion of mutual learning in sports and environmental protection,” she said.

In addition to collaborations at the government level, the diplomatic relations have also been facilitated under the auspices of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries(CPAFFC), through the Jamaica-China Friendship Association (JCFA), formed in 1976.

Mrs. Simpson Miller said the JCFA was established on the basis of a “desire to increase knowledge and friendship between our countries.”

“Jamaica is honoured to accept the friendship of the great People’s Republic of China and the friendship expressed through your association; and we are very pleased… to let you know that the friendship is mutual…Jamaica and China. May the friendship between our two countries continue to increase,” the Prime Minister said.

In her remarks, President of the CPAFFC, Madam Li Xiaolin, said the JCFA is one of the most “active” friendship organizations affiliated with China. This, of the nearly 500 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) with whom her association has established relationships of friendly cooperation, in some 157 countries.

She recounted initially meeting Prime Minister Simpson Miller during the first conference of friendship organizations for Latin America and the Caribbean in 1998, and welcomed their meeting, once again, on this occasion.

“Thanks to the care and support from the Jamaican government, the people to people friendly exchanges between our two countries have become more frequent. It is my sincere hope that we can strengthen our cooperation and make greater contributions to enhancing friendship between the people of China and Jamaica,” Madam Xi said.