The Governor General commented that:

“Your accreditation today symbolises the continued strengthening of good relations between The Bahamas and the People’s Republic of China, formalised May 23, 1997, and founded upon the principles of mutual respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and mutual non-aggression.”

He added that the Bahamas is also aware that the PRC is the oldest continuous world civilisation, with about 1.3 billion citizens, and is poised to be the number one economy in the world, stating that:

“The Bahamas equally shares the importance attributed to Bahamas/China relations. This relationship has already produced mutually beneficial gains in bilateral and multilateral cooperation.”

He added that China has also contributed to higher education and technology advancement through the funding of computer systems for Bahamian students.

“The Bahamas, therefore, also shares the commitment of your government to continue to work to bring Bahamas/China friendship and cooperation to a higher level,” he continued.

The People’s Republic of China established its Embassy in The Bahamas on July 21st, 1997. On January 21, 2006, The Bahamas opened its Embassy in Beijing.

Since the establishment of technical assistance arrangements, 16 students have been awarded full scholarships to study at the Bachelor and Masters Degree levels. For the year 2008-09, the Chinese government has offered five scholarships.

Ambassador Dingxian acknowledged that The Bahamas is an important country in the Caribbean region that since its independence, has enjoyed a stable and prosperous economy and played an active role in international and regional affairs:

“The Chinese Government values its friendly relations and cooperation with The Bahamas, a trustworthy and friend and partner,” he announced, going on to add that:

“Since the establishment of diplomatic relations 11 years ago, our two countries have deepened friendship and mutual trust, carried out fruitful exchanges and cooperation in political, economic, and cultural fields and worked closely with and supported each other in international and regional affairs.”

Ambassador Dingxian then pledged that the Chinese Government would work closely with The Bahamas to bring relations to a higher level.