Vice President of China Arrives for Three-Day Visit

Vice President of the People’s Republic of China, His Excellency Zeng Qinghong, arrived in Jamaica today (February 1), following a three-day visit to Trinidad and Tobago.
The Vice President is on his first official visit to the island to attend the China-Caribbean Economic and Trade Co-operation Forum, which will be held at the Jamaica Conference Centre in Kingston from February 2 to 3. As a supporting event of the Forum, the China-Caribbean Trade Fair will be held at the National Arena from February 2 to 5.
In a statement, issued on his arrival at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston, Vice President Qinghong expressed pleasure at being in the island.
“I am very pleased to pay an official visit to Jamaica – the land of wood and water. I would like to extend my highest tribute to the great Jamaican people and convey to you the cordial greetings and good wishes from the Chinese people,” the statement said.
He noted that although China and Jamaica were geographically distant, friendly exchanges between Chinese and Jamaicans dated back to one and a half centuries ago.
“Our two countries shared similar historical experience and are now both striving to build a better future. I sincerely wish Jamaica prosperity and its people well-being, with constant new progress on their road to development,”.
The Vice President noted that since China and Jamaica established diplomatic ties 32 years ago, the mutual understanding has been continuously enhanced, and mutually beneficial co-operation steadily expanded, as evidenced by good co-operative relations in various fields.
“Facts prove that it serves the long-term and fundamental interests of both peoples to strengthen China-Jamaica relations. The Chinese Government and people value their traditional friendship with Jamaica,” he added.
“The purpose of my current visit is to strengthen the mutual trust between China and Jamaica, expand consensus, deepen co-operation and seek common development. I shall have an in-depth exchange of views with Prime Minister Patterson on strengthening bilateral relations, and on international issues of common interest,” he explained.
The Forum, which has as its theme: ‘Promoting Friendship and Partnership for Common Development’, will be divided in two parts to facilitate government-to-government exchanges and business-to-business deals.
The inter-governmental exchange will address issues relating to trade and investment, human resource development, agriculture, fisheries, science and technology, finance as well as tourism and transportation, while the business conference will concentrate on seminars on doing business with China and also with the Caribbean.
At the opening ceremony of the Forum, to be held at the Jamaica Conference Centre on February 2, Prime Minister Patterson and the Vice President will address the gathering.
China is expected to send a 100-member governmental delegation headed by Vice Minister of Commerce, An Min, and a group of 165 entrepreneurs from 70 enterprises, who will be expected to cover areas of trade, investment, tourism, finance and transportation.