Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi concluded his first overseas tour of 2024 with a visit to Jamaica.
Meeting Prime Minister Andrew Holness, who was joined by a number of his ministerial colleagues including for foreign affairs, on January 20, Wang said that China hopes to work with Jamaica to synergise development strategies, expand cooperation in various fields, enhance people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and consolidate the public opinion foundation for China-Jamaica friendship.
Holness recalled that in 2009, he had the honour of receiving Xi Jinping who visited Jamaica as Chinese vice president and that in 2019 he and President Xi jointly announced an upgrading of their bilateral relations to a strategic partnership. He added that China did not hesitate to lend a helping hand when Jamaica encountered difficulties, which has strongly supported his country’s economic development and the improvement of people’s lives, and vividly demonstrated China’s sincere will to help developing countries.
Wang Yi said that China advocates that all countries, big or small, are equal and respects Jamaica’s choice of a system and way of life with its own characteristics. Briefing the Jamaican side on China’s development achievements and centenary goals, Wang said that China is accelerating Chinese modernisation and is willing to provide a useful reference for developing countries that hope to achieve rapid development while maintaining independence.
Following the meeting, Prime Minister Holness wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that “this visit marks a significant milestone in our diplomatic ties, reflecting the enduring partnership and collaboration between our two great nations.”
The Chinese Foreign Minister also had a separate meeting with his Jamaican counterpart, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Kamina Johnson Smith. She expressed her pleasure to receive the Chinese foreign minister at Jamaica’s new foreign ministry building, one of China’s aid projects in the country. And she thanked China for providing valuable support to Jamaica’s economic development and improvement of people’s livelihood, and for helping Jamaica successfully fight the pandemic.
Wang said that China and Jamaica are geographically far apart but have a long history of friendly exchanges. It has been 170 years since Chinese migrants first arrived in Jamaica.
Jamaica is one of the first Caribbean countries to establish diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China and the first Caribbean country to establish a strategic partnership with China. China appreciates the correct decision made by Jamaica, its unwavering friendship with China, and its firm support for China in safeguarding core interests, Wang noted.
Strategic partnership means mutual trust and mutual support. China and Jamaica respect each other and treat each other as equals. Their bilateral relations have achieved a historic leap, and their friendly cooperation has achieved fruitful results, bringing tangible benefits to the two peoples.
In a world lacking fairness and full of injustice, China will always stand on the side of fairness and justice, and support the cause of the vast mass of developing countries, in particular small and medium-sized countries. China supports the Caribbean countries in their efforts to unite for development and advance regional integration, Wang remarked.
Jamaica and China established diplomatic relations on November 21, 1972, eight months after the late Michael Manley, who pursued anti-imperialist and socialist-oriented policies, first became Prime Minister.
The following articles were originally published by the Xinhua News Agency.
China hopes to synergize development strategies with Jamaica: Chinese FM
KINGSTON, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) — China hopes to work with Jamaica to synergize development strategies, expand cooperation in various fields, enhance people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and consolidate the public opinion foundation for China-Jamaica friendship, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Saturday.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks in a meeting with Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness, which was also attended by Jamaica’s ministers of foreign affairs, finance, health and infrastructure.
Holness recalled that in 2009, he had the honor of receiving Xi Jinping who visited Jamaica as Chinese vice president and that in 2019, he and President Xi jointly announced upgrading bilateral relations to a strategic partnership.
Asking Wang to convey his sincere greetings to Xi, Holness said that China did not hesitate to lend a helping hand when Jamaica encountered difficulties, which has strongly supported Jamaica’s economic development and improvement of people’s lives, and vividly demonstrated China’s sincere will to help developing countries.
Jamaica will continue to firmly adhere to the one-China policy, give priority to the relationship between Jamaica and China, and strive to build a strong strategic partnership between the two countries, the prime minister stressed.
Wang conveyed Xi’s cordial greetings, noting that China appreciates Jamaica’s firm adherence to the friendly policy towards China and the one-China principle, and thanks Jamaica for understanding and supporting China in safeguarding its core interests.
China advocates that all countries, big or small, are equal and respects Jamaica’s choice of a system and way of life with its own characteristics, Wang said.
China supports Jamaica in safeguarding its sovereignty, independence, and national dignity and playing a more important role in regional and international affairs, Wang added.
Wang said that the Belt and Road cooperation between China and Jamaica has achieved fruitful results and has broad prospects.
Briefing the Jamaican side on China’s development achievements and centenary goals, Wang said that China is accelerating Chinese modernization and is willing to provide a useful reference for developing countries that hope to achieve rapid development while maintaining independence.
The two sides can share experience in state governance and achieve common development, he added.
Holness said that Chinese modernization has set a benchmark for high-quality development. Noting he has witnessed China’s adherence to the principle of equality and treating small and medium-sized countries sincerely, he firmly believes that China will continue to play a leading role in responding to global challenges.
On the same day, Wang also held talks with Jamaican Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Kamina Johnson Smith.
China, Jamaica highlight fruits of bilateral cooperation
KINGSTON, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Jamaican Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Kamina Johnson Smith highlighted fruitful results of bilateral cooperation during their meeting in the Jamaican capital of Kingston on Saturday.
Johnson Smith expressed her pleasure to receive the Chinese foreign minister at Jamaica’s new foreign ministry building, one of China’s aid projects in the country. Noting that Jamaica is the first English-speaking Caribbean country to support the one-China principle and has since adhered to this position, she said Jamaica is proud of this tradition and will continue to unswervingly stick to the one-China principle.
Johnson Smith said the two countries enjoy solid mutual political trust, highly compatible ideas, mutually beneficial cooperation, and active people-to-people exchanges, yielding fruitful results in their strategic partnership.
She thanked China for providing valuable support to Jamaica’s economic development and improvement of people’s livelihood, and for helping Jamaica successfully fight the pandemic.
Jamaica values China’s experience in governance and has been strengthening economic development planning and striving to eliminate poverty, Johnson Smith said, adding that her country looks forward to expanding bilateral cooperation in infrastructure, economy and trade, agriculture, education, science and technology, while developing a strong strategic partnership between the two countries.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said China and Jamaica are geographically far apart, but have a long history of friendly exchanges. It has been 170 years since Chinese migrants first arrived in Jamaica.
Jamaica is one of the first Caribbean countries to establish diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China and the first Caribbean country to establish a strategic partnership with China. China appreciates the correct decision made by Jamaica, its unwavering friendship with China, and its firm support for China in safeguarding core interests, Wang noted.
Strategic partnership means mutual trust and mutual support. China and Jamaica respect each other and treat each other as equals. Their bilateral relations have achieved a historic leap, and their friendly cooperation has achieved fruitful results, bringing tangible benefits to the two peoples, said Wang.
History has proved and will continue to prove that the China-Jamaica friendship is in line with the fundamental and long-term interests of both countries, Wang said, adding that China is willing to continue to support Jamaica in accelerating national development and revitalization, to write a new chapter of the China-Jamaica friendship as well as make new achievements in bilateral win-win cooperation.
Wang stressed that China adheres to the path of peaceful development, practices genuine multilateralism, and promotes the political settlement of hot-spot issues, making it a major country with the best record in peace and security.
In a world lacking fairness and full of injustice, China will always stand on the side of fairness and justice, support the cause of the vast developing countries, in particular small and medium-sized countries. China supports the Caribbean countries in their efforts to unite for development and advance regional integration, Wang said.
China is willing to jointly implement a series of important global initiatives proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping with Caribbean countries, promoting a high-level China-Jamaica comprehensive partnership featuring mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit and common development, he added.
Johnson Smith stated that Jamaica fully agrees with the concept of peaceful diplomacy, highly appreciates China’s role as a major country, supports and will actively participate in a series of Chinese global initiatives, and stands ready to make more achievements in the relationship between Caribbean countries and China.
