Chen Daojiang | Build community with shared future for mankind

It’s a great pleasure to take this opportunity to share the joy with Jamaican friends to celebrate the 74th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. On behalf of the Chinese Embassy in Jamaica and the Chinese Permanent Mission to the International Seabed Authority, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to every friend who has long been committed to China-Jamaica friendship and partnership!

Over the past 74 years, under the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China, the heroic Chinese people have joined forces and created two miracles of rapid economic development and long-term social stability, getting a magnificent new historical chapter written.

After the successful convening of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Chinese people have embarked upon a new journey with high spirits to achieve the Second Centenary Goal of fully building a modern and powerful socialist country. At present, the Chinese people are pursuing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernisation.

The Chinese modernisation benefits the world. According to the white paper, A Global Community of Shared Future: China’s Proposals and Actions that China recently released for the first time, China has signed documents on Belt and Road cooperation with more than 150 countries, including Jamaica, and more than 30 international organisations. 2023 marks the 10th anniversary of the proposal of the “Belt and Road” initiative, and the Third “Belt and Road” Forum for International Cooperation will be held soon. China will take this opportunity to make the initiative more prosperous and broader.

SHARED DEVELOPMENT

The Chinese modernisation leaves no one behind. President Xi Jinping has proposed to build a community of shared development, and make sure that in the process of global modernisation, no country is left behind. China will increase its input to global development cooperation, and is willing to work with other countries to jointly implement the Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative and Global Civilization Initiative.

The Chinese modernisation pursues peaceful development. The Chinese modernisation pursues peaceful development. China is developing itself by unleashing its internal dynamism and peacefully utilising external resources. In this way, China will contribute even more to world peace, tranquillity, prosperity and development.

China and Jamaica are good friends and partners. Jamaica is the first English-speaking Caribbean country to establish diplomatic relations with China, to establish a strategic partnership with China, and to sign the agreement on jointly promoting the Belt and Road cooperation with China. The three “firsts” are strong evidence of the China-Jamaica friendship and the right direction of our bilateral relations.

China-Jamaica political relations have been continuously strengthened. Our leaders and senior officials have always maintained close communication through meetings and exchanges of letters, and played a strategic leading role. Various governmental departments and political parties of China and Jamaica have maintained intensive exchanges. Our two countries have always firmly supported each other on issues of core interests and major concerns. China appreciates the Jamaican Government’s firm commitment to the one-China principle.

China-Jamaica pragmatical cooperation has been deepened. Our bilateral trade volume has increased significantly for many consecutive years. Part A of the Southern Coastal Highway Improvement Project came into service recently. The Western Children’s Hospital is under construction. China and Jamaica have achieved solid and significant outcomes in high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. China welcomes Jamaica to join the Group of Friends of Global Development Initiative at an early time.

INCREASINGLY CLOSER

China-Jamaica people-to-people exchanges have been increasingly closer. China has offered hundreds of Chinese Government Scholarships and Chinese Ambassador’s Scholarships to Jamaican students. Thousands of Jamaicans from different fields have taken part in short training sessions organised by China. More Jamaican young people are learning Mandarin in the Confucius Institute at the UWI Mona campus.

Standing at a new historical starting line, China would like to work together with Jamaica to build a more resilient and dynamic bilateral strategic partnership in the new era.

The concept of “a community of life for man and nature” that China is practising is similar to the principle of “the area and its resources are the common heritage of mankind” held by the International Seabed Authority. China is willing to continue to work with other countries to promote deep-sea mining and environmental protection, and make greater contributions to the common welfare of all mankind.

President Xi Jinping pointed out that the relationship between countries lies in the friendship between the people. The touching story of our two peoples living and working in harmony stretches back hundreds of years. The Chinese community in Jamaica has upheld the outstanding qualities of diligence, bravery, inclusiveness and dedication, and made great contributions to our exchanges and cooperation.

China will continue to hold high the banner of peace, development and win-win cooperation, and insist on being a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, and a defender of the international order. Let’s stick to our original aspiration of cooperation and shoulder the responsibility of the times. Let’s join hands to respond to global challenges and create a better future together. Let’s make brand-new and greater contributions to promoting world peace and development and the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

Chen Daojiang is ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to Jamaica and permanent representative of the People’s Republic of China to the International Seabed Authority. Send feedback to xiajamaica@gmail.com