Fruitful Cooperation between China and Dominica

By+staff+reporter+ZHOU+LIN

THIS year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Peoples Republic of China and the Commonwealth of Dominica. Chinas 1.3 billion-strong population dwarfs Dominicas less than 100，000 inhabitants. However， the two countries share a common understanding of equality and mutual benefit and have developed bilateral relations noticeably over the past 10 years， witnessed by achievements ranging from high-level visits and meetings between leaders to fruitful cooperation in political， economic， cultural， educational and tourism sectors. Amity between the two countries has improved， along with more frequent economic and trade exchanges.

David Xu， Special Envoy of the Commonwealth of Dominica and Commercial Counselor， told China Today in an exclusive interview of the Dominican peoples sincere gratitude to the Chinese government for a decade of selfl ess assistance to the Commonwealth of Dominica.

Closer Ties

China Today： This year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Chi- na and Dominica. What do you think of the relationship between the two countries？

David Xu： The Commonwealth of Dominica， situated along the eastern margin of the Caribbean Sea， is known as the “Nature Island” of the Caribbean. It has abundant fresh water， lush rainforests and many tourist attractions. Though the population of Dominica is less than 100，000， its inhabitants lead a happy life and enjoy political stability. As a signifi cant member of the Caribbean Community（CARICOM）， Dominica plays an important role among the 15 Caribbean nations and dependencies. On the basis of mutual understanding and trust， member nations share an interest in politics， the economy and foreign affairs， and have the same passport and currency， which is important to China in terms of its strategic geopolitical role.

Bilateral relations between the two developing countries have improved rapidly and steadily since 2004 when diplomatic relations were established. Friendship and cooperation between the two sides continue to deepen and expand. The government of Dominica firmly supports Chinas policy on foreign affairs and territorial integrity and proactively maintains bilateral friendship.

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations， highlevel exchanges and political trust have been enhanced. Former President Nicholas Liverpool， Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit， Speaker of the House of Assembly Alix Boyd-Knights and several cabinet ministers have each paid visits to China. In 2008， Liverpool and Skerrit were present at the closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games. In 2010， Liverpool attended CARICOM Day at the Shanghai World Expo.

In June 2013， during his state visit to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago， Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with Skerrit. Later in July， Premier Li Keqiang also met with Skerrit and discussed strengthening cooperation in agriculture， clean energy， medical care， transport and sustainable development to push for more mutual benefits for the two countries.

Building the Friendship Bridge

China Today： Since 2004， economic and technological cooperation have been strengthened. What have been the major projects between the two nations？

David Xu： There have been a series of aid projects that China has contributed to Dominica， for which we are very grateful. As the biggest developing country with the fastest developing economy in the world， and a major country in the manufacturing industry， China has successively offered help to improve Dominicas infrastructure： Chinas involvement in many significant construction projects， such as the Road Rehabilitation， Coastal Highway and Coastal Bridge projects， holds significant meaning for Dominicas economic development.

The Roseau-Portsmouth Road Rehabilitation Project has become known as a friendship milestone between China and Dominica. It runs from the capital city， Roseau， in the south to Dominicas second largest city， Portsmouth， in the north. The road is 45 kilometers long and serves as the artery of the country. The project is one of the largest undertaken by China in the Caribbean region.

Constructing the Roseau Bridge， located at the estuary of the Roseau River， was a challenging task due to complicated geological conditions on the construction site. Chinese workers from the Electrification Engineering Co.， Ltd. of China Railway 17th Bureau Group Co.， Ltd. confronted the challenges and overcame difficulties， including fierce floods， to finish the whole project to a high standard and on time.

At the inaugural ceremony of the Roseau-Portsmouth road， Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit， on behalf of the Dominican government and people， expressed gratitude to China for its assistance. He said that the Chinese people had made a great contribution to Dominicas development and that his people would never forget it.

Annually， over 80 Dominican students receive Chinese government scholarships for further education in Chinese universities. They major in various fields including international politics， business administration， tourism， finance and biology. Many of them are back home， making contributions to economic and social development of Dominica as well as friendship between Chinese and Dominican people.

In November 2013， the working panel of the National Health and Family Planning Commission of the PRC paid a visit to Dominica and signed a memorandum of understanding to send Chinese ophthalmologists to Dominica to carry out free cataract operations to help the sufferers see this beautiful world again.

In fact， a significant amount of medical assistance from China has been warmly welcomed in Dominica. China provides advanced facilities for the Sino-Dominica Friendship Hospital and Chinas Ministry of Health sends a medical team of 20 members to Dominica annually to share their expertise.

On August 3， 2014 an expert panel on ophthalmology arrived in Dominica. This was the result of an agreement between China and Dominica concluded during President Xis state visit to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago， where Xi met with Prime Minister Skerrit and reached an agreement on cooperation and exchange on the subject of peoples livelihood.

Direct Flights Expected within Two Years

China Today： The Commonwealth of Dominica is famous for its splendid scenery and was regarded as one of the 25 best tourist destinations in the world. What measures are expected to attract more foreign tourists to the country？

David Xu： Tourism is the pillar industry of Dominica， contributing revenues surpassing half of the GNP. In the future， China is planning to aid Dominica with another three projects – a commodity trading market， a hotel and an international airport – and the two countries expect to realize direct flights within two years， which will be the first direct flight route between Asia and Caribbean countries， making a great contribution to local tourism as well as benefiting Asian tourists.

We hope it will provide opportunities for people-topeople exchanges and create a bright future for China and Dominica.