Wang Yi: The Comprehensive Cooperative Partnership between China and Caribbean Countries Has Kept Deepening

2022-04-29 23:46

On April 29, 2022, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Acting Prime Minister of Dominica Reginald Austrie co-chaired the Foreign Ministers' Meeting Among China and the Caribbean Countries Having Diplomatic Relations.

Wang Yi said that China and Caribbean countries are good friends and good partners sharing the same ideal. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the start of diplomatic relations between China and Caribbean countries, which is of special significance. Over the past half-century, especially since President Xi Jinping's visit to Caribbean countries in 2013, the comprehensive cooperative partnership between China and Caribbean countries has kept deepening, and cooperation in various sectors has yielded fruitful outcomes, setting an exemplary model of mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit and common development between countries of different sizes.

First, political mutual trust between the two sides has been strengthened as time goes by. 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 always advance China-Caribbean countries relations along the right track. China highly appreciates Caribbean countries' pursuit of the one-China principle, support for China's reunification and opposition to interference in China's internal affairs. China also firmly supports Caribbean countries in pursuing successful development paths suited to their national conditions.

Second, pragmatic cooperation has yielded fruitful results. The two sides successfully held three sessions of the China-Caribbean Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum, with a number of mutually beneficial cooperation projects being carried out. China follows the principle of upholding justice while pursuing shared interests and sincerely helps Caribbean countries develop its economy and improve people's livelihood. The two sides have jointly advanced Belt and Road cooperation, strengthen the synergy between development strategies, and continuously inject new impetus into mutually beneficial cooperation between the two sides to make it high-standard, sustainable and people-centered.

Third, the two sides have 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. Caribbean countries provided China with invaluable support when China's fight against the pandemic was at its toughest period. After the outbreak of the pandemic in the Caribbean countries, China has also shared its experience in fighting COVID-19 without reservation, and provided batches of COVID-19 vaccines and anti-pandemic supplies to each and every Caribbean country having diplomatic relations with China.

Fourth, public support has grown more solid. The two sides have carried out various forms of cooperation in culture, sports, tourism and education, and at the sub-national level. The Caribbean Music Festival has become an important brand event in China, athletes from Caribbean countries have actively participated in the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, and more and more Chinese tourists visit Caribbean countries for sightseeing. Sub-national exchanges are flourishing, and educational cooperation has been further deepened. Many young people from Caribbean countries have received Chinese government scholarships to study in China and become envoys of the China-Caribbean countries friendship.

Fifth, the two sides have worked closely to safeguard justice. China and Caribbean countries have strengthened coordination in the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, the Group of 77 and other international organizations, and maintained communication on issues such as the United Nations reform and climate change response, jointly safeguarding the overall interests of developing countries and upholding non-interference in internal affairs, a basic norm governing international relations.