Gaston Browne, Prime Minister of the Caribbean twin island state of Antigua and Barbuda, who is also the leader of the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party, paid an official visit to China at the invitation of his counterpart, Premier Li Qiang, January 22-28. His previous visit had been in 2014, the year he assumed the premiership.
On January 24, Prime Minister Browne met in Beijing with both President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang.
Noting that Antigua and Barbuda is one of the first countries in the Eastern Caribbean to establish diplomatic ties with the People’s Republic of China, Xi said that since the establishment of diplomatic ties 41 years ago, the two countries have always respected and supported each other, setting an example of equality and win-win cooperation between countries of different sizes. The bilateral relations have maintained healthy and stable development, pragmatic cooperation has yielded fruitful results, and people’s friendship has deepened, Xi added.
He emphasised that the two sides should continue their traditional friendship, consolidate political mutual trust, and continue to understand and support each other on issues concerning each other’s core interests and major concerns.
Xi observed that Antigua and Barbuda is the first Eastern Caribbean country to sign a Belt and Road cooperation MoU with China and said the cooperation between the two sides has brought tangible benefits to the two peoples, adding that China is now advancing Chinese modernisation on all fronts through high-quality development and this will bring new opportunities for the development of Antigua and Barbuda and bilateral cooperation.
Stressing the need to strengthen cultural and people-to-people exchanges, Xi said China welcomes more young people from Antigua and Barbuda to come and study in the country.
He added that China attaches importance to the concerns and demands of Antigua and Barbuda and other small-island developing countries in the field of climate change and is ready to support Antigua and Barbuda in hosting the fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States, continue to provide assistance to the economic and social development of regional countries within its capacity, and promote the continuous development of relations between China and Caribbean countries.
Browne thanked the Chinese government for its valuable support, saying that China’s assistance and cooperation have greatly promoted the development of Antigua and Barbuda and helped with its poverty alleviation efforts.
China adheres to the principle that all countries, regardless of size, are equal, and actively promotes the noble vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity, Browne said, adding that by proposing the Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilisation Initiative, China has taken concrete actions to promote common development and prosperity of the world and benefit the people, showing unparalleled leadership and charisma in the world, and will surely lead more countries in the Global South to strengthen unity and cooperation.
Antigua and Barbuda is willing to be China’s most reliable partner, and will stand firmly with China on issues concerning the well-being of all humanity, and safeguard the common interests of developing countries, Browne added.
In his meeting, Premier Li Qiang said that since the establishment of diplomatic ties 41 years ago, China and Antigua and Barbuda have always respected and supported each other, adding that China stands ready to work with Antigua and Barbuda to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, consolidate and carry forward the traditional friendship, continuously deepen strategic mutual trust, and enhance mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields to benefit the two countries and two peoples.
He noted that China, within its capacity, is ready to provide assistance to Antigua and Barbuda in addressing climate change under the framework of South-South cooperation, and to continue strengthening multilateral coordination and cooperation to build a community with a shared future for humanity.
Browne expressed his appreciation of China’s strong support for the economic and social development of Antigua and Barbuda over the years. Antigua and Barbuda abides by the one-China principle, believes that Taiwan is a province of China, and firmly supports China in safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity. He noted that Antigua and Barbuda stands ready to promote cooperation between the Caribbean Community (Caricom) and China, promote the reform of the global economic governance system, elevate bilateral relations to a new level, work with China to cope with climate change, and strengthen cooperation with China on agriculture, education and infrastructure construction.
Antigua and Barbuda finally won its national independence on November 1, 1981, after having been a British colony since 1632. The newly independent country established diplomatic relations with China on January 1, 1983, and the two countries’ friendly ties have developed smoothly ever since.
In order to make his country’s sovereignty complete, Prime Minister Browne has joined the regional trend to remove the British monarch as head of state and for Antigua and Barbuda to become a republic, pledging to hold a referendum on the subject in the near future.
The following articles were originally published by the Xinhua News Agency.
Xi meets Antigua and Barbuda’s prime minister
BEIJING, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda Gaston Browne in Beijing on Wednesday.
Noting Antigua and Barbuda is one of the first countries in the Eastern Caribbean to establish diplomatic ties with the People’s Republic of China, Xi said since the establishment of diplomatic ties 41 years ago, the two countries have always respected and supported each other, setting an example of equality and win-win cooperation between countries of different sizes.
The bilateral relations have maintained healthy and stable development, pragmatic cooperation has yielded fruitful results, and people’s friendship has deepened, Xi said.
Under new circumstances, China is willing to enhance exchanges at all levels and exchange experience on governance with Antigua and Barbuda, strengthen synergies of development strategies, deepen practical cooperation and push China-Antigua and Barbuda relations to achieve more results and better benefit the two peoples, Xi said.
He emphasized that the two sides should continue their traditional friendship, consolidate political mutual trust, and continue to understand and support each other on issues concerning each other’s core interests and major concerns.
China highly appreciates Antigua and Barbuda’s firm adherence to the one-China principle, and will, as always, support Antigua and Barbuda in safeguarding national sovereignty and independence as well as independently choosing a development path in line with its national conditions, Xi said.
He noted that Antigua and Barbuda is the first Eastern Caribbean country to sign a Belt and Road cooperation MoU with China and the cooperation between the two sides has brought tangible benefits to the two peoples, adding China is now advancing Chinese modernization on all fronts through high-quality development and this will bring new opportunities for the development of Antigua and Barbuda and bilateral cooperation.
Xi said China is willing to expand cooperation with Antigua and Barbuda in areas such as trade, infrastructure construction, climate change, new energy, medical and health care within the framework of the eight major steps to support high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.
Noting that both sides should strengthen cultural and people-to-people exchanges, Xi said China welcomes more young people from Antigua and Barbuda to come and study in the country.
He said China is willing to strengthen multilateral coordination with Antigua and Barbuda to advocate an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.
China attaches importance to the concerns and demands of Antigua and Barbuda and other small-island developing countries in the field of climate change, and is ready to support Antigua and Barbuda in hosting the fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States, continue to provide assistance to the economic and social development of regional countries within its capacity, and promote the continuous development of relations between China and Caribbean countries, Xi said.
Browne thanked the Chinese government for its valuable support, saying that China’s assistance and cooperation have greatly promoted the development of Antigua and Barbuda and helped with its poverty alleviation efforts.
China adheres to the principle that all countries, regardless of size, are equal, and actively promotes the noble vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, Browne said, adding that by proposing the Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, China has taken concrete actions to promote common development and prosperity of the world and benefit the people, showing unparalleled leadership and charisma in the world, and will surely lead more countries in the Global South to strengthen unity and cooperation.
Browne said Antigua and Barbuda highly appreciates the Chinese modernization, and China’s great success proves that China’s path and system are successful and worthy of learning.
Noting Antigua and Barbuda-China relations are based on profound friendship, mutual trust, mutual respect and mutually beneficial cooperation, Browne said Antigua and Barbuda firmly believes that Taiwan was, is and will always be a province of China, and Antigua and Barbuda will continue to firmly abide by the one-China principle and firmly support China in safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Antigua and Barbuda is willing to be China’s most reliable partner, and will stand firmly with China on issues concerning the well-being of all mankind, and safeguard the common interests of developing countries, Browne said.
He hoped that through the visit to China, bilateral relations will be brought to a new level and more cooperation outcomes will be achieved to bring more benefits to the two peoples, Browne said, adding that Antigua and Barbuda will continue to actively promote the development of the relationship between Caribbean Community and China.
Wang Yi was present at the meeting.
Chinese premier holds talks with PM of Antigua and Barbuda
BEIJING, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) — Chinese Premier Li Qiang held talks with Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda Gaston Browne in Beijing on Wednesday.
Since the establishment of diplomatic ties 41 years ago, China and Antigua and Barbuda have always respected and supported each other, Li said, adding that China stands ready to work with Antigua and Barbuda to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, consolidate and carry forward the traditional friendship, continuously deepen strategic mutual trust, and enhance mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields to benefit the two countries and two peoples.
Noting that both countries are developing countries, Li said China stands ready to work with Antigua and Barbuda to advance high-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, strengthen cooperation on agriculture and infrastructure, and tap further into the potential of cooperation on the green, blue and digital economies to foster new driving forces for economic development.
The two sides should strengthen people-to-people and cultural exchanges and cooperation in the fields of tourism, civil aviation, medical and health care and human resources, Li said. He noted that China, within its capacity, is ready to provide assistance to Antigua and Barbuda in addressing climate change under the framework of South-South cooperation, and to continue strengthening multilateral coordination and cooperation to build a community with a shared future for humanity.
Browne said that since the establishment of diplomatic ties between Antigua and Barbuda and China, bilateral relations have maintained strong development momentum. He expressed his appreciation of China’s strong support for the economic and social development of Antigua and Barbuda over the years, and his support for important initiatives such as the construction of a community with a shared future for humanity, the Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative.
Antigua and Barbuda abides by the one-China principle, believes that Taiwan is a province of China, and firmly supports China in safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity, Browne said. He noted that Antigua and Barbuda stands ready to promote cooperation between the Caribbean Community and China, promote the reform of the global economic governance system, elevate bilateral relations to a new level, work with China to cope with climate change, and strengthen cooperation with China on agriculture, education and infrastructure construction.
After their talks, Li and Browne witnessed the signing of a number of bilateral cooperation documents on the joint construction of the Belt and Road, trade, transportation, economic development, mutual visa exemptions and climate change.
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