On September 30, Dr DeLisle Worrell, President of the ABCF, sent the following message to Mr LIN Songtian, President of the CPAFFC, on the occasion of the 71st Anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China on October 1.
On behalf of the Association for Barbados-China Friendship (ABCF) I offer heartiest congratulations on the occasion of the 71st anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. Your journey over those years has been a tumultuous one, and the Chinese people endured much hardship and adversity. It must therefore be a source of great satisfaction that your leaders have used the lessons of experience to transform your economy and improve the material well-being of Chinese people to an extent that would have been inconceivable when you embarked on that journey. When I first visited China in 1980, few Chinese enjoyed lifestyles comparable to the average Barbadian. Remarkably, over the ensuing 40 years China has mobilized productive engines which have lifted all but a tiny minority of your population out of poverty, an achievement that is without precedent in the history of the human race.
What is more, in the process China has provided material benefits to all of humanity, through the export of affordable products and services. I have calculated the benefit that Barbadians have received by importing products made in China at about nine percent of all imports to our island. China also has provided funding and direct investment to Barbados and the Caribbean. In all these respects - trade, funding and investment - there has been benefit to the Caribbean, and also opportunities for Chinese producers and investors. This is truly a win-win relationship.
The Government of the PRC is also to be commended for its steadfast commitment to multilateralism, the international rule of law, and the institutions set up to administer the international system. In the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, China stands out among the nations of the world for its swift response to the emergence of the virus, its determined efforts to contain the domestic spread of the virus, and the speed and completeness of its cooperation with the World Health Organisation and the international community. I can personally attest to this, largely because of excellent coverage by the China Global Television Network, CGTN, from the earliest recognition of the virus.
China has demonstrated its commitment to multilateralism in numerous practical ways, including additional funding for the WHO, the provision of medical supplies and equipment, and contributions to peace keeping in Africa. China is signatory to most international treaties and agreements, and has shown willingness to play an increasing role in the activities of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the United Nations and its agencies. China is a signatory to the Paris Accord on Climate Change, and has made major investments and commitments towards the targets set out in the Accord.
China has also initiated outward looking policies and institutions which have already begun to reap benefits for the host countries, as well as providing opportunities for diversification of markets for Chinese foreign direct investment and other outgoing finance. The Belt and Road Initiative and the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank are outstanding examples.
China's achievements and its policies toward the international community offer us great hope for the future. In order to secure that future, we must all do what we can to further mutual understanding and empathy among nations and peoples. It is the mission of the ABCF to make some small contribution to that effort. Our Association is grateful for the support and cooperation we have received from the Chinese People's Association for Friendship in Foreign Countries, the Embassy of the PRC in Barbados, and the Confucius Institute at the University of the West Indies. We understand the importance of strengthening bonds of friendship and understanding, and of cultural and personal interaction, in the future relationship between China and the Caribbean. With your continued help we will work with our partners, the Embassy of Barbados to the PRC, the Chinese Association of Barbados, the Barbados-China Returned Scholars Association, and others, to foster links and build relationships.
The ABCF mission is to build a deeper understanding between the Chinese people and Barbadians and Caribbean people from all walks of life. The association’s focus is on personal experiences, people-to-people contact, cultural exchanges and exchanges of ideas, and the facilitation of travel, business and study. From the outset we aim to learn from and build on the experiences of the Caribbean and China, and to develop mutual understandings and support that will be to the benefit of both sides.
