On May 5th and 6th, 2022, Local media Daily Observer and PointXpress carried an article authored by Her Excellency Madame Zhang Yanling, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to Antigua and Barbuda, titled “Strengthening Solidarity and Cooperation to Build a Better Future” which provides a briefing on the Foreign Ministers’ Meeting Among China and the Caribbean Countries Having Diplomatic Relations with China in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the 9 Caribbean countries. The full text is as follows:
This year marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and nine Caribbean countries. In celebration of this milestone, H.E. Wang Yi, State Councilor and Foreign Minister of China, Hon. Reginald Austrie, Acting Prime Minister of Dominica, Hon. E.P. Chet Greene, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Immigration and Trade of Antigua and Barbuda, as well as Foreign Ministers from the other seven Caribbean countries which have diplomatic ties with China participated in a virtual meeting on April 28 (local time).
In retrospect, for the past half century, the comprehensive cooperative partnership between China and Caribbean countries kept deepening with increasingly productive cooperation in various sectors, setting up an exemplary model of countries pursuing common development on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit.
China and Caribbean countries respect each other's national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, understand and support each other on issues related to respective core interests and major concerns, and also support each other in pursuing successful development paths suited to their national conditions.
China and Caribbean countries have deepened cooperation in developing economy and improve people's livelihood. The two sides have strengthened the synergy between development strategies, jointly advanced Belt and Road cooperation, rendered each other support and assistance through thick and thin. Whether there is a natural disaster or COVID-19, the two sides have always been the first to help each other. Both sides have also carried out various forms of cooperation in culture, sports, tourism and education.
China and Caribbean countries have worked closely in the international organizations, jointly safeguarding the overall interests of developing countries and upholding non-interference in internal affairs, as a basic norm governing international relations. The two sides have also maintained communication on issues such as the United Nations reform and climate change response.
Hon. Minister Greene emphasized in his remarks that in order to create a fairer and more equitable international community in an interconnected world, values such as cooperation, solidarity, mutual respect and justice are essential. As dedicated friends and reliable partners to each other, Antigua and Barbuda and China will continue to maintain resolute solidarity and deliver mutually beneficial developmental outcome.
As State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi pointed out, the global economic and social development and security situations are facing complex and severe challenges, and the future of all countries is connected more than ever before. Now more than ever, China and Caribbean countries need to strengthen solidarity, overcome difficulties together, deepen cooperation and create a better future.
With inputs from all the participating countries, consensus was reached on making joint efforts in the following aspects:
--- Enhance political mutual trust, continue to support each other on issues concerning each other's core interests, and advocate and practice true multilateralism.
---Work together to promote post-COVID economic recovery, pursue deeper and more substantive progress in Belt and Road cooperation, and jointly implement the Global Development Initiative.
---Strengthen cooperation against the pandemic and on medical treatment, improve public health governance, build a pattern of diversified and interactive people-to-people exchanges, and actively consider the orderly post-pandemic resumption of people-to-people exchanges, jointly address the challenge of climate change, and keep closer policy communication.
China stands ready to further enhance practical cooperation with Caribbean countries in economy and trade, investment and financing, infrastructure construction, transportation and communications, agriculture and fisheries, disaster prevention and mitigation, digital economy and other areas.
China will continue to provide economic and technical assistance to Caribbean countries without setting any political conditions. China will also donate medical materials for the fight against the coronavirus pandemic to Caribbean countries who have diplomatic ties with China as well as to the Secretariat of the Caribbean Community. A disaster prevention and relief fund will be set up. The number of government scholarships to Caribbean countries will also be increased.
On the issue of the climate change to which the Caribbean countries attach great importance, China supports the legitimate and reasonable concerns of the small island countries, and is willing to jointly promote the building of a fair and rational global climate governance system for win-win results.
1st January 2023 marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Antigua and Barbuda. China will continue to be a good partner, brother and friend of Antigua and Barbuda. We are ready to make joint efforts with our Antiguan and Barbudan friends to further enhance mutual political trust, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation and continue to promote friendship between the two peoples. Let us together strive to promote post-pandemic economic recovery, address climate change and other global challenges, speed up the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and jointly build a closer community with a shared future.