Dominica/China to celebrate first decade of diplomatic relations

Chinese Ambassador to Dominica, Li Jiangning
Chinese Ambassador to Dominica, Li Jiangning

Dominica and the People’s Republic of China will celebrate ten years of what has been described as a “fruitful relationship” of mutual cooperation.

Dominica established diplomatic relations with China on March 23, 2004.

A release from the ministry of foreign affairs said that the relationship has been significantly beneficial to Dominica in a variety of sectors as the island continues to support the One China Policy.

As part of the celebrations, the Nanjing National Orchestra will stage a public cultural performance on Friday, March 21, 2014 from 8:00 pm at the Arawak House of Culture.

On Saturday March 22, the Government of Dominica and the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China will host a cocktail reception at the Conference Center of the State House to officially celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Dominica-China relationship.

A year of joint activities is planned to commemorate the first decade of Dominica–China diplomatic relations throughout 2014.

According to the release from the ministry of foreign affairs between 800 and 900 Dominicans have benefited from Chinese sponsored training opportunities and have visited China between 2005 and 2013.

An additional group of ten Dominican students began university studies in China in 2013, bringing the total to about 130 full government scholarships awarded to the Government of Dominica since 2004.

A number of Technical and Economic Cooperation Projects aided by the Government of the People’s Republic of China are underway in Dominica, according to the ministry.

Among these are: Dominica State House and Dominica State College, New Town Primary School, Fourth Phase Windsor Park Sports Stadium Technical Cooperation Maintenance Project as well as the Supplementary Engineering Works on E O Leblanc Highway, including Bus Shelters.

Additionally: The installation of Chinese Agricultural Cooperation at One Mile Agricultural Station at Portsmouth and the reconstruction of the Agricultural Demonstration Centre in that area, including the Carib Territory Housing Project which is in its final phase, as well as the 3rd Phase of Chinese Medical Cooperation at the Princess Margaret Hospital.

The ministry of foreign affairs said the Chinese Government responded positively to Invest Dominica Authority (IDA) request for financial support for sewing groups in rural communities, and provided funding to cover acquisition of sewing machines, in testimony of strengthening cooperation with the Government of Dominica in job creation and community empowerment.

The Dominica Police Force has also been supported with material and equipment, including motorcycles as well as formal communication language skills in Mandarin Chinese.

The foreign affairs ministry further said “in respect to regional development, China is one of 5 non-borrowing members of the Caribbean Development bank (CDB) whose purpose is ‘to contribute to the harmonious economic growth and development of the member countries in the Caribbean and to promote economic cooperation among them, having special and urgent regard for the needs of the less developed members of the region.’ China is also a contributor to The Disaster Mitigation Facility for the Caribbean (DMFC), an initiative of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), to promote sustainable development through reduction of natural hazard risk in CDB’s Borrowing Member Countries (BMCs).”

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18 Comments

  1. Anonymous
    March 21, 2014

    Native & Indigenous,
    I KNEW Prime Minister Roosy Douglas and repeat: he had NO SUCH vision! One night he went up at midnight to the Tawainese Embassy at Check Hall shouting “leve leve mois le lajean. “Pathetic!

  2. Morihei Ueshiba
    March 21, 2014

    America #1 Long Live Obama. 8)

  3. John
    March 21, 2014

    You are welcome just as long as you do not try and annex Dominica and make it a Chinese colony when we cannot pay back all those millions that the glorious and illesterious Prime Minister has borrowed from you.

  4. APACHE
    March 20, 2014

    some dominicans don’t want china,but america,france,and even england,all of them eating from the crumbs that some of we doh want.China once you respect my country you can come.

  5. Anonymous
    March 20, 2014

    Native & Indeginous, Roosevelt Douglas had NO such vision!!He continued the BACKWARD policies of the previous Administrations(1984-2004) with the Pineapple and Pawpaw diplomacy and small grants for toopatooism!!!One of Roosevelt Douglas’s son was studying in Taiwan at the commencement of his Administration!!

    • Native & indigenous
      March 21, 2014

      you may not have known the man as i knew him, i am not asking for opinion i am talking about personal contact and exchange of information it was just a question of time.

  6. Anonymous
    March 20, 2014

    Chinese saying: what else I have to do to get that country going? Cause all of these programmes should have doubled the economy.

    Here in lies the scale of the corruption.

  7. Native & indigenous
    March 20, 2014

    I congratulate both countries on the attainment of the 10th anniversary of diplomatic relations, and admit that this was a step in the right direction, The late great Roosevelt Douglass always had that vision just that it was not meant to be in his short tenure, but the idea was already born.
    Similarly we hope the U W P will continue to strengthen this relations with china after the revision of the M O U that is yet to be made public by the present Labour administration.

  8. IFF I WUZ
    March 20, 2014

    Parry, I would thank the Chinese for all the assistance they have given to Dominica, however, I would ask the Chinese to produce a copy of the M.O.U between Dominica and China.

    • Emile Zapatos
      March 21, 2014

      Mr IFF I WUZ, M O U are never published. They are top secret like Cabinet papers. Its like matters between lawyers and clients or doctors and patients

  9. Jon Carson
    March 20, 2014

    Congratulation China! However, please note for the record, that we would like to remain a sovereign and democratic country where the people have the say in the affairs of our country. Thank you for your understanding and we appreciate your assistance and continued friendship.

    God Bless Dominica and China.

    • Emile Zapatos
      March 21, 2014

      God bless you Jon Carson for your very diplomatic comments. Your few words said a lot.

  10. Media or Midear
    March 20, 2014

    “Dominica and the People’s Republic of China will celebrate ten years of what has been described as a “fruitful relationship” of MUTUAL cooperation.” would’nt “MUTUAL” imply or say two ways? I have read what China is giving to us what have we given to them?…I am afraid if we have not yet given that the price we may have to pay when it is time to pay will be too high….On that note if there is a scholarship to go learn Madarin I would love to apply since China is now making english mandatory for its school age nationals.

  11. memories
    March 20, 2014

    I remember i was in grade 6 at smp. My teacher came back to the class literally jumping in the air. We asked him if he had won the lotto yea trust me. He said no it this news tha made him happy so. #memories

  12. Anonymous
    March 20, 2014

    Welcome to Dominica your excellency and thanks for your support and friendship. May god continue to bless you and your nation abundantly.

  13. patriot
    March 20, 2014

    Make it massive PM. We have much to celebrate.

  14. Jay
    March 20, 2014

    Your Excellency., you are welcome to Dominica.

    In the spirit of clarity and understanding could you please confirm or deny that your country’s contractors, working on public projects in our country use- or have used laogai labour?

    Thank you.

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