Minister for Public Works, Public Utilities and Digital Economy, Fidel Grant has described his recent visit to China where he participated in a two-day forum as “very successful”.
He made the disclosure at a press briefing held at the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Morne Daniel on Monday.
The Forum dubbed “The Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF III)” convened on October 18, 2023, in Beijing under the theme: “High-quality Belt and Road Cooperation: Together for Common Development and Prosperity.”
“The forum was very successful, it created links with countries and companies, which is aimed at creating economic growth and development,” Grant said. “Several countries were able to learn and benefit from their digital economy experiences.”
According to him, the Belt and Road initiative, the brainchild of President Xi Jinping, is a remarkable development tool, the kind that the world needs to assist in its economic development.
He mentioned further that over 150 countries are part of this initiative and Dominica continues to see the benefits of participating. Grant pointed out that, in fact, several Caribbean countries have benefited.
“Dominica will continue to benefit and we would like to thank the People’s Republic of China for their continued support and friendship,” he stated. “This initiative is about creating connections to the countries.”
He continued, “The two-day forum gave countries the opportunity to hear from others, how this initiative can continue to develop their countries.”
He pointed out that one of the main areas of this forum was the focus on the digital economy. Furthermore, according to Grant, the digital economy will continue to allow tremendous opportunities for the young people and businesses here in Dominica.
“We will see an increased focus on making sure technology is not only available, but accessible to all,” he noted. “The digital economy will be the driver for growth of several countries including Dominica in the coming years.”
Grant went on to state that the forum also placed focus on governance and security, particularly in the area of artificial intelligence.
“The global Artificial Intelligence (AI) initiative was also launched at the forum,” he revealed.
He said China is currently looking at regulations for AI.
“This is something we can benefit from in the near future,” Grant said. He revealed that the government is investing over $70 million via loan to ensure the development of the digital economy.
“We will see significant development in not only the country’s digital structure, but investment in education, through training and development of skills,” Grant noted. “This investment like many others is aimed at improving the quality of life for every Dominican.”
Meanwhile, Chinese Ambassador to Dominica, Lin Xianjiang said that at the opening ceremony, President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech. Reviewing the achievements and successful experience of the past ten years, he emphasized that Belt and Road cooperation is on the right side of history, keeps pace with the advance of our times, and represents the right path forward.
And I can confirm that: in 1976 there was a chines restaurant walking distance from Victoria Train Station, in London, all of a sudden it got shut down only to find out the reason was because they cook and sold dog meat to unsuspecting people.
Came to California; in 1983, where I worked for a company Acudata System; lots of forefingers worked there, China-man invited people to his house to eat, one guy from Belize, ask what, sort of food is on the menu, when he was through relating the food would be served, among the meat to be eaten was dog meat!
So, I know they do eat dog meat!
Some people say they eat rats too; I can’t testify to that because I don’t know!
Dissent, disagreement and despair have now degenerated into outright despicable behavior on the D.N.O. forum.
The boundaries and lines to agree to disagree have been totally obliterated by a subset of legacy posters on this forum who are highly educated, intelligent, talented and very successful in their own rights.
There is no question that partisan politics has prevented those individuals from making tangible contributions to the national good.
This forum has become so toxic that some posters have no qualms in vilifying another’s family and ancestry. All indications are that those who did not come here to bury Skerrit and his associates will be buried themselves.
This MAGA and maggot like behaviour has got to cease. If per chance we know better then we owe our country and fellow Dominicans to be and do better!!!
“This forum has become so toxic that some posters have no qualms in vilifying another’s family and ancestry. All indications are that those who did not come here to bury Skerrit and his associates will be buried themselves.”
(***Insert applause emoji.) An idle oft-discarded opposition drunk on emotions and vitriolic rhetoric and with no clue of how to actually make itself relevant to the Dominican electorate will grasp at every opportunity to peddle disinformation and mind-bending narratives. DNO’s blog has always been one such medium. Don’t be cowed by this rabble-rousing minority, though!
Most of your angst should be directed at scatological Roosevelt and his intellectually shallow, intemperate wife.
Silence gives approval/consent. There was no outcry from you when Roosevelt urged his supporters to douse members of the opposition with hot water. No word of disapproval from you when he instructed his goons and minions to harass these said people whenever and wherever they saw them. Not even a murmur from you when he called peaceful marchers hungry. Not a whisper from you when he referred to specific members on the opposite political aisle as stale soup and old buggies. Where was your outrage then?
Did you castigate Melissa when she threatened violence with her remarks about snipers and navy seals? No!
Your outrage about the scathing criticisms of Roosevelt is conspicuously hypocritical and blatantly fake.
People get addicted to feeling offended all the time because it gives them a high; being self-righteous and morally superior feels good.
Why don’t you ask yourself who started all this? It was your political master who encouraged all you supporters to hunt down supporters of the opposition. Now you use a bit of spin to make it look as if it was our fault, as if you and your master are the victims. Do you want us to just watch all this criminal behaviour of your master and agree with him. Let me quote a phrase of his despicable own vocabulary: GO TO HELL! No way we will allow him or you greedy supporters to ruin our country completely. Where is our CBI money? Where is his son hiding, why was he allowed to leave the country a few hours after being involved in a fatal RTA? Why has your master hijacked the electoral reform process even though it is none of his damn business? I promise all you, he has overstepped the mark! Watch this space.
‘making tangible contributions to the national good’? Rhetoric, rhetoric, rhetoric that’s all you can come up with nowadays in the absence of anything tangible. What has your hero Skerrit contributed? Now don’t tell me Geothermal, Airport or Hotels. Geothermal will never complete, Airport will never materialise and most hotels are just rotting white elephants. The others (4) are all owned privately. Apartments I hear you say. Don’t make me laugh! NO contribution to national good, I say. Just a means and way to buy votes and reward loyal Skerrit supporters. To summarise: what tangible contribution to the nation has that man made, that’s in charge of OUR money?? What contribution have you made?? All you guys do is wrong accounting and give the nation a bad reputation internationally. That’s the only contribution you guys have made in just over 20 years. SHAME ON ALL YOU.
@me where were you when your idol said, “To hell with the constitution”? Do you know what this means? Were you offended by this disgraceful statement from the pm of Dominica? He insulted the entire country and he still remains your “pm.” Go tell Roosevelt that he is out of place. And obviously, your government operates void of the constitution – have you taken note of that? If a thief would to break open your house to steal your belongings would you greet that thief with respect and warm welcome? We have such people in Dominica who behave as Dogs sitting and waiting for China and Roosevelt to throw them a bone. I see that every darn day. So give me a break. If Linton (whom I think would be a good Prime Minister) was PM and operated in any fashion like Roosevelt, I would think of him the same way I think of Roosevelt. Dominica 🇩🇲 will always be first in my book. And if you behave like a Dog I will call a spade a spade. But I’d rather have a spade than a Dog any day. And I will say it.
@Raj Raheem
My friend you have denigrated a human being like yourself by calling him a dog. You were rude, and out of place..What are you trying to defend?
I am anti Skerrit more than you are, but i love the Chinese.
@meme I would advise you to get a broader meaning of “Dog” there are many places in scriptures that refer to people as certain types of animals based on their behavior and characteristics. You wouldn’t know that because the Bible is foreign to you. Come again let’s talk. This time I will have several references for you.
Go move to China and good luck. Just leave us out of your madness.
Is either China or the Western countries. And we have seen that the West has taken the world to its poorest state of violence and poverty on par with the era of the Romans. Forward we go, wherever it takes us but not what we have seen that doesn’t work for us.
Tell me, how can one mention investing over $70 million in digital and no mention of a DATA CENTER to consolidate and access government information? Workers will still have to move from office to office with large piles of papers with your citizens’ information like it’s 1965 bc – before the computer era?
Words, words and more words. That’s all this government can produce. In case you haven’t noticed, they have done so for more than 20 years. Dominicans clearly can survive on words and promises otherwise they would have done something about the dismal situation by now.
Hear those puppets and idiots. A man that allowed Skerrit to sell his constituency to China with no damn questions asked and you coming talking your crap? Right now we are almost immigrants in Dominica while Chinese have become the nationals and you coming back talking your china crap?
Fidel, did you get a chance to meet those five or so Chinese with our CBI passport that were charged for serious crimes in Singapore?
Did you get to meet that Chinese Skerrit sold our passport to and was arrested and charged by the US with his crypto currency fraud? Did you meet NG Lapseng, another Chinese national that was arrested, charged and jailed in NY with our passport? Did Skerrit tell you how he narrowly escaped too since he was one of them? Fidel did you get to see a copy of the MOU with China that Skerrit signed and has failed to make public? Did anyone tell you what role if any China played in the departure of Ross University from Dominica? If no then shut up because you are one of them too
So, Fidel, I need to asks you; do you rely understand the meaning of digital economy; or you are just like the rest of the stupid people involve in Dominica govt?
And because I think you are not aware that Dominica does not have an economy, except that based on the sale of passports, let me introduce you to the true term of digital economy: it is any economic activity that occurs online!
“Today, the digital economy is essentially any economic activity that occurs online. It’s really a data-driven economy informed by the ability to collect, use, and analyze massive amounts of machine-readable information to deliver more personalized and meaningful experience.”
So, this crap you picked up in China, does not have any relevance to Dominica; what you should tell the people is that you were able to influence a few overseas entities to come to Dominica, and set up some kind of industry which will employ a few hundreds of people.
People not interested in bull crap digital crap!
He doesn’t understand the meaning of that word. However, what he understands very well is the word MONEY
China will soon dominite the globe… Its strategy is simple, but it is effective. It seem to have better think tanks than the other super power, America. With 155 countries in Belt and Road, there must be something good with the initiative..It just need good leadership from the countries involved to reap the benefit…
Dominica will become, in short order, a Chinese military outpost. The pirates are here again. This time not Anglo-Saxons but people from the Orient.
Look at another Chinese mongrell. They willing allowed themselves to be subdued by China 🇨🇳 without China yet having to have finger on the trigger. The Chinese man standing next to him is the one Roosevelt reports to. He is Roosevelt Boss and he runs Dominica. He has requested “full protection for the Chinese people in their Caribbean islands of Dominica.” Don’t ever forget, Chinese eat dogs 🐕. And Dominica is filled with two legged Dogs.
@Raj Raheem
Man/woman have respect for people. You can express dissatisfaction without dehumanising people. Darn rude and out of order.
All you guys like dishing it out, but you don’t like to be on the receiving end.
@Raj Raheem
Very pesonal and rude comment. Those who thumbed you up are worse than you. What got you so angry? Will your anger stop China, which is a global superpower, from pursuing its ambitions? NO IT WON’T!! America kills millions of people in unprovoked wars, you CLAP when it happens. China does not do that. That’s why the world follows China.Have you ever thought of that?
@Raj Raheem
Who is the mongrel.Do you know the meaning of mongrel? This comment is outrageous.
@ hello…it took you some time to get to me because, obviously, you first had to look up the word for your own ignorance. Now you are asking me if I know the meaning. Hello! You are a looser. You love that word better than Mongrel? I think you love both.
What do you expect from a hungry dog that got a boat to chew?
(L-r) H.E. Lin Xnjiangia, Hon. Fidel Grant:
Fidel, either you or your Chines handlers are blind, how could you allow some China clown to put the recognition or identification names tags in the opposite position?
You are deemed: H.E. Lin Xnjiangia China-man.
Well, I know the very exceptionally beautiful blue eye lady out of Wesley, the one called Ma Ma Pretty; Telemaque, your great, great, grandmother, had eumelanin pigmentation, could pass for a white person, Benny if still alive, is light, the late Eudora was very light. don’t be surprise, the name Telemaque is in Denmark too, though not a slave name which came out of Senegal in West Africa, family still existing there to this very day.
All I am saying is that you could not be a China man, I found one China woman a writer, name Telemaque, she inherited the name by marriage, do not allow such errors to stand, mistaken identity has cost people their very life!
Those who think that they are omniscient do not know that they are not, your guinea pig.
You support U.S, E.U and white Europe Jews who left Egypt black and returned white in 1948 by the U.S and British. Well,,,, we support China, their belt and road initiative, and Russia. You guys have failed us, and miserably.
@ Mel the “Jews” you are referring to didn’t return to Jerusalem/Israel in 1948. After their captivity in Babylon under King Nebukkadneza they went back during the reign of King Cyrus. During, and After the holocaust millions of the Jewish people were scattered across Europe (and of course, there they got that blue and green eyes from the Europeans and a much paler look/complexion). The year 1948 which you mentioned, was the year that Israel became a Nation. In our day right now we see strictly white peoples being Jews. If I was a white European leaving in Germany or Russia and had the chance to go to Israel as a Jew; I would have done so. It’s my belief that many who were white took this advantage. However, there’s a portion of scripture within the Bible which clearly states, “God knows them that are His.” So some may say they are and are not. The Apostle Paul said the very same thing.
@Raj. Stay on topic. These people that the western countries gave Israel to, in 1948 after Hitler, have nothing to do with the bible, absolutely nothing. They were definitely not the Jews scattered in scripture, it’s Africans Black as tar.
These are European “converts to Judaism” who originated from the Khazars, by the Black Sea.They were banished from Russia. The Bible is all African stories. The Jews in the bible are African people scattered back into the Continent, not even towards the Tigress and Euphrates rivers, neither to Europe. Those running Israel today are all fake Jews, business deals, purchased with money and trinkets, shiny stuff, weapons of mass destruction and racism.
The story in the old Testament is all African, all participants burned in the African sun, not white Europeans. Quit reading those white-supremacist books.
“Grant went on to state that the forum also placed focus on governance and security, particularly in the area of artificial intelligence.” He also says loan of 70 mil and it was a great success. Here are my questions: did you secure any markets for dominica products and services? you had an opportunity to make connections, so how many new countries you were able to get buy Dominica cocoa products, wines, punches, soap, coffee, beer, fruit juices, plantain breadfruit and dasheen chips? how can this be a great success if it was only to secure loans and grants for more BS? I have nothing against having dealings with China but if it is there to advance thier geo politics and to beg then I have a problem. It is useless if this relationship does not advance our exports and grassroots growth. On the end of a digital economy there must be a product or service to offer. Instead of teaching robotics and other skills at college we teach mandarine and Confucius. that is colonialism
@ L C Matthew
You are reading back to front. The trip was not about finding markets. It was about Belt and Road.
LOL. what do you think the belt and road initiative is all about? SMFH. do you think China just doing because they care about Grant and the rest of the minions. Everything is about economics, exploitation of human and natural resources power and dominance. It always has and always will be. What ignorant people choose to not see is China has advance through heavy industrialization with it largest consumers being the US. to do that they provided cheap labour. They manufacture and produce everything under the sun. The state is the driver of the economy so use its tentacles to get other countries indebted to them. The belt and road is just one huge giant octopus. Do I fault China? absolutely not. Instead it’s the greedy leaders who use to manipulate thier people who grovel and still remain poor and desperate. 20 years and now we have more begging and dependency because we fail to add value to anything including ourselves.
Where do you know that Chinese eating fig, dasheen and yams 🍠? These are noodles people. Do we have noodles here? The Chinese who reside in Dominica have their foods and drinks imported. Go to the Roseau market on a Saturday and you will not see a Chinese person spending our money there. They have no choice on buying gasoline, but that’s it. Dominica is playing a loosing game with China.
…they eat dogs too!? Good luck to all you and your superhero Skerrit.
“the government is investing over $70 million via loan to ensure the development of the digital economy.”
$70 million to do what?! Why not be transparent laying down the costs of this so called digital economy. In this day and age you still cannot use your phone only, to transact in some governmental establishments in Dominica. Dcash not even supported. You can’t even file your taxes online that whole system is down. Countries like Estonia have digital id cards with all that information easily available online.
Be patient. At least today you know of “Dcash” and online tax submission and using your smartphone to do business in Dominica. This is progress towards your model, Estonia. Estonia did not get there overnight.
I am surprise to read the foolishness Fidel spews, when we know he is much more intelligent than the way he presents himself!
It seems they are all brainwashed by those rotten Chines; as such unconsciously they simply follow the Chines doctrine.
Prof that Grant is brainwashed; is that the boy is from Wesley, he simply lay down asleep, and watched the Chines destroyed his village where even education started in the country.
Wesley should be classified a conservation territory, carefully maintained and kept as a natural resource to prevent the village from disappearing. Instead his fear of loosing a damn job and Roosevelt Skerrit, he remained silent, and allow Roosevelt to give Wesley to a few nasty pompous Chines.
Even Cabana between Wesley and Marigot where people went to have fun, on week ends, the stinking little China rats has destroyed the the area, turned the whole place into a swamp, by dumping garbage extracted from what the claim is from building airport.
My question to you cousin is; how much was extracted from the treasury in US$ for travel experience which includes flight tickets, food, hotel accommodation; and unexpected expenses?
Of the amount how much did you spend, and how much change you brought back?
You know (dem say when Dominica politicians travel wid de money dem never bring back change.
So, me cousin Lois Robinson told me when dem jail Patrick John; it was not so much because of the KKK him brought to Dominica dem say fu overthrow government; but because he did not have a receipt to prove a three dollar expense he could not account for.
Anyway me cousin Lois knows because him was wan civil servant in the department then.
An him was the wan in de development bank when wan certain prime minister gave wan girl wan $40,000.00 dollar cheque fu cash: Lois refuse fu okay de cheque fu the teller, the bearer of the cheque start to cry is de P. M cheque!
Cousin Lois told her, the P.M doh have any money in bank: true story
With America alienating itself from the vast majority of countries in the world, i must congratulate China for outfoxing the global bully and instead of giving to countries a GUN and war, it is giving something to help the citizens. The overwhelming majority of countries on the African continent with a population of 1.5 billion people are prepared to kick America’s a$$$$s for China and Russia. I followed the forum.Wow! It was massive!!
Well Done China!!!
@MEME
There are many Chinese in Dominica. Do they even make any effort to assimilate with the majority indigenous population? Their ‘kindness’ is not genuine. They have ulterior motives.
A black man cannot own land in China. He is not allowed in most places of entertainment. They treat the relatively few Africans migrants in their country less than human.
By the way, there is no bilateral relationship between Dominica and China. China sees an opportunity to use Dominica as a big supermarket for their poor quality, inferior goods. An elephant doesn’t have a mutual relationship with an ant. Power and size matter.
@ Ibo
Well my friend you blame those who have the Chinese here, not the Chinese people. This is plain and simple. The sentiments expressed here towards the Chinese people is toxic, and it needs to end!!
Based on your ridiculous statements, one wonders if you are in a sound mind!
And so I asks that you give one reference to corroborate your thoughts that ” America is alienating itself from the vast majority of countries in the world.”
FYI; China is trying to be America where it pertains to having allies; America is a tower of strength in the world with its European and a majority of third world nations.
China is into one China policy: which is “The One China policy is the diplomatic acknowledgement of China’s position that there is only one Chinese government, covering both mainland China and Taiwan. Under the policy, countries must choose which territory represents “one China” and break official relations with the others. The US acknowledges China’s position but does not challenge it, and maintains a policy of strategic ambiguity regarding Taiwan.
In the entire world, dumb Roosevelt is the only crook to adhere to the communists China policy; Roosevelt proudly made that…
@Meme, I totally agree with what you stated.
MEME, I don’t know what you’ve been drinking lately but you’re sure kicking some a$$$$ these days. KEEP it up.
You think s/he is finally seeing the light or just overly fed-up with the ‘ish dished out by his/her pals?
They ought to change the name to Belt and Noose, because when it is all said and done, it becomes a noose around the next of the recipients.
This is just one example:
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/16/business/nepal-pokhara-airport-china.html?smid=nytcore-android-share
@Zandoli
What is the alternative?. You believe struggling countries around the world bother with the crap coming from you all here?
@Zandoli
Yah. Why haven’t you given links to all the success stories? This link is for unsuspecting UWP supporters here. According to MEME, China is simply smarter than the USA. China gives projects, America give wars. The wars that you grin and clap at.