The Tribune

MINISTER of Financial Services Ryan Pinder hailed the People’s Republic of China’s “remarkable journey” since its founding in 1949.

Mr Pinder said this journey has been characterised by the “Chinese trademarks” of industry, ingenuity, vision and perseverance.

“Yours is a country that does not have to settle with just revelling in your rich heritage, though it still continues to captivate the world,” Mr Pinder said during the 64th China National Day Celebrations at the residence of Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China, Hu Shan.

“Your literature, music, visual and marital arts, cuisine, inventiveness and your gifts to civilisation – such as paper, the compass and printing – have all stood out as beacons of ingenuity.”

Mr Pinder noted that there is also much for the PRC to be proud of in recent times, such as the country’s success in lifting millions out of poverty, its dominance as the manufacturing hub of the world and its fashioning of a new model for sustainable development.

“Today, President Xinping is promoting the Chinese dream, with its focus on prosperity, collective effort, national glory and a special emphasis on sustainable development, a model that can be considered for all developing countries,” he said.

Mr Pinder said he attended the event that evening on behalf of the Bahamian government and people, to pay homage to the journey of co-operation the two countries have sustained over the past 16 years.

“We are different countries — different in size, different in culture and different in history — but our peoples share many commonalities,” he said. “We share a strong belief in sovereignty and territorial integrity, a purposeful spirit with a tendency towards ambition and a desire for comprehensive and sustainable development.”

As a result of these commonalities, he said, the friendship between the two countries continues to grow from strength to strength.

“We have completed six major co-operation projects together, including the construction of our world-class stadium which most recently hosted the CARIFTA Games and is set to host international relay championships next year; the funding of the Nassau Airport Gateway Project; and, perhaps most significantly, the partnership between Baha Mar Resorts Limited and China Construction America, with loans in excess of $2 billion from the EXIM Bank of China, to create a world-class, multi-billion dollar tourist resort on Cable Beach,” Mr Pinder said.

The Bahamas has also benefited from a variety of grants from the Chinese government, he added.

“These grants will be the cornerstone of projects that will contribute significantly to the social and economic development throughout our archipelago,” he said.

The value of the co-operation is not only evidenced in investments of brick and steel alone, Minister Pinder said. More than 100 Bahamian government officials and managers of industry have been beneficiaries of training opportunities provided by the Chinese government, he said.

“Additionally, nearly 60 Bahamian students have been afforded scholarships for study in China, including 13 Bahamians just this year,” he said.

“We appreciate the various forms of support received by the Chinese government and would also applaud the sustained support provided throughout the Caribbean region.”

Minister Pinder said that as they look to the horizon, both countries also are in the process of exploring a reciprocal visa waiver agreement that will facilitate freer flow of trade, commerce, people and culture between the two nations.

“This next step in the deepening of our relations is pivotal, not only to ensure that more Chinese nationals get the privilege of visiting our beautiful Bahamian shores, but also because both of our countries have a vested interest in the success and sustainability of the Baha Mar project,” Mr Pinder said.

“Tonight, there is much to celebrate — the 64th anniversary of the establishment of the People’s Republic of China and the 16th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our two countries — as we both forge ahead with building a bridge to a future based on the principles of mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit and common development,” he said.

“Ladies and gentleman, join me in raising a toast to the achievement of 64 years of dynamic Chinese progress and development, to the continued deepening of relations between our two governments and peoples, and to the mutual benefit that undoubtedly will spring from this journey of a thousand miles we have embarked upon together.”

Among those present at the event were: Governor-General Sir Arthur Foulkes and Lady Foulkes; Cabinet ministers; leader of the opposition Dr Hubert Minnis and other opposition MPs; president of the Senate Sharon Wilson and Franklyn Wilson; former Governor General Sir Orville Turnquest; Lady Ingrid Darling; Dame Marguerite Pindling; the heads of resident Diplomatic Missions; heads of international and regional organisations; members of the Diplomatic and Honorary Consular Corps; vice president of the Bahamas-China Friendship Association and deputy director of the Bahamas Information Services, Anthony Capron; president of the Chinese Community Association, Brian Wong and other senior government officials.