Speaking on Wednesday, 20 September 2023, during the celebration of the 74th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, held at the Radisson Grenada Beach Resort, H E Wei Hongtian, Chinese Ambassador to Grenada, expressed his confidence that the proud and profound friendship between China and Grenada will grow from strength to strength, as excerpted below.
As an old Chinese saying goes: “Nothing, not even mountains and oceans, can separate people with shared goals and vision.” Since China and Grenada resumed diplomatic ties on 20 January 2005, our 2 countries have been respecting, trusting and supporting each other. Our political mutual trust has been continuously strengthened, our coordination on international and regional affairs has become closer than ever before, our relationship has been enhanced, and our cooperation has been deepened. China highly appreciates Grenada’s adherence to the One-China principle. China also enjoys support from Grenada in many ways.
China and Grenada have been working and cooperating closely over the years in many sectors, including infrastructure, agriculture, medical and health care, housing, youth, sports, education, human resources training, security and law enforcement. The 2 phases of low-income housing project, the reconstruction and expansion projects of the 2 stadiums and technical cooperation, the consecutive 8 phases of agricultural cooperation and the ongoing upgrade project of Maurice Bishop International Airport, are concrete results of the pragmatic cooperation between our 2 countries. Meanwhile, based on the principles of people-centred philosophy and all-round development of people, small-scale projects at the community level with funds from China have been implemented, sending Chinese people’s goodwill to Grenadian communities, schools and farmlands. Our people-to-people exchanges have more than ever flourished. 6 bilateral and dozens of multilateral short-term training programmes for Grenadian officials and professionals have, and will be held by China this year, covering vast areas and benefiting a lot of Grenadian friends. China has been and will continue to provide full government scholarships for Grenadian students. I am also pleased to see that the Confucius Classroom at TAMCC was upgraded to a Confucius Institute last year. I also would like to congratulate the successful visit to China by Hon. Joseph Andall, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Trade and Export Development of Grenada recently. The 2 sides will keep close contact on the follow-up of the visit.
Next year marks the 50th anniversary of the independence of Grenada, and it will be the 19th anniversary of China–Grenada’s resumption of diplomatic relations. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Grenadian people on their upcoming Independence Jubilee, and on their achievements in political, economic, and social development over the past 50 years. I take note that Hon. Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell announced that 19 October 2023 will be declared a public holiday, and the day will be used to commence activities for the 50th Independence anniversary celebration, which will be observed on 7 February 2024. We Chinese in Grenada will join the Grenadian people to celebrate the historic event just as we did in the Parade of Bands of Carnival Festival in August this year. And I hope we will take this opportunity as a new starting point to jointly promote more cooperation results between our 2 countries, to bring our bilateral relations to a new high, to realise the goal of common development and to create a better future for our countries and peoples.
No matter how the times and situations change, I am confident that the proud and profound friendship between China and Grenada will never change, and the friendly relations between our 2 countries will keep growing from strength to strength.
I also would like to offer my congratulations on the full success of the just concluded Summit of the Group of 77 and China held in Havana, Cuba. It is highly appreciated that Hon. Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell attended this Summit and contributed his wisdom. The Havana Declaration adopted at the Summit stresses the importance of solidarity and cooperation on the basis of extensive consultations, joint contributions and shared benefits, which can bring huge gains to all countries and all parts of the world in building a community of shared future for humankind. It emphasises equality, justice and the need for a more inclusive and coordinated approach to global financial governance, rejects technological monopolies and other unfair practices that hinder the technological development of developing countries, and calls upon the international community to foster an open, fair, inclusive and non-discriminatory environment for scientific and technological development.
China participated in the summit and put forward a 3-point proposal on cooperation between the G77 and China. First, we must stay true to the original aspiration of the G77 for independence and greater collective strength through unity, reject bloc confrontation and the Cold War mentality and join hands to maintain world peace and tranquillity. Second, we must advocate equity, justice and inclusiveness and strengthen the voice and representation of developing countries. Third, we must pursue development, revitalisation and win-win cooperation and work to ensure that no developing country will be left behind or left out in the development of new technologies and industries.
China is the largest developing country in the world and a member of the Global South. We stand ready to work together with G77 members to build a Global South community with a shared future and usher in a new era of common development.
Strong unity of the global south makes great sense. Just as the national anthem of Grenada sings, “We pledge ourselves to thee, heads, hearts and hands in unity…. May we with faith and courage, aspire, build, advance, as one people, one family”. So let us keep unity, work hand in hand, safeguard our dignity and common interest and together move our two nations and peoples forward.
The ambassador’s complete speech follows.
All these large and well established groups of countries are only befriending these little islands in order to secure votes when needed to make them even more established.
We need to get help with our infrastructure for the future. Roads and Bridges are very important in the long term.