The Tribune

OPTIMISTIC about the status and future of relations between the People’s Republic of China and the Bahamas, Chinese Ambassador to the Bahamas Yuan Guisen gave a distinguished lecture recently to student leaders at The College of the Bahamas.

He invited them to appreciate the ties that bind the two developing nations.

“China and the Bahamas have witnessed very good relations over the years,” he said, speaking through an interpreter.

“And also over the years, we have seen a broader and broader co-operation in trade and economics.

“Though China is a developing country just like the Bahamas, we would like to do our best to help and work together with the Bahamas,” he added.

China’s impact on the economy of the Bahamas is evident through the development of infrastructure and the tourism industry, specifically in the creation of the Airport Gateway Project, the Baha Mar Resort on Cable Beach and the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium in New Providence. A growing number of Bahamians continue to pursue education opportunities in China, a significant number of them as students of the Confucius Institute at the College of The Bahamas.

The Chinese government has also committed to educating approximately 100 students at the master’s degree level in China and providing 1,000 full scholarships for Caribbean nationals.

In his presentation to the students, the Chinese ambassador focused largely on the history and culture of his country, its development in the global arena and economic, environmental and agricultural challenges.

Co-director of the Confucius Institute at The College of The Bahamas Haldane Chase also spoke of the strengths of the existing relationship between the two countries.

“His Excellency has shown himself to be a great friend not only of (COB) through the Confucius Institute but in other areas in the community,” he said.

“We have seen the ambassador interact with students at the high school level, inviting them to be his guests at the embassy. We have seen him here at The College of the Bahamas and we’ve even seen him at Junkanoo, not as a spectator but as a performer. So we see the ambassador brings to us not just the formality of a diplomat, but rather the warmth of a friend,” Mr Chase added.