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By Analisa Low
It was exactly 50 years ago, on June 20, 1974, that the then-government of Trinidad and Tobago took the forward-looking decision to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China.
Our 1974 decision followed in the direction of earlier steps taken by our young nation to support the restoration of the legal rights of the People's Republic of China at the United Nations in 1971, part of the wider independent and principled foreign policy approach spearheaded by our country's founders that continues to this day.
As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the People's Republic of China, both sides can reflect with great pride on the friendship and strong partnership we have built.
Shortly after the establishment of diplomatic relations, in November 1974, the Father of our Nation, the then-Prime Minister Eric Williams, paid an official visit to China, meeting with the late Chinese leader Mao Zedong and the then Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai. His visit would not only go down in history as the first of any Caribbean head of government to China, but would firmly establish a friendship that has persisted between the governments of both countries to the present day.
Preceding official ties, the peoples from both sides engaged in impactful exchanges of knowledge, values, and customs. According to studies, it was Trinidad in 1806 that welcomed the first group of Chinese laborers to our shores. This group is recorded by historians as the first organized settlement of Chinese in the Americas.
Our multi-ethnic society has been enriched by the talent and vitality of our Chinese community, who have contributed greatly in the areas of politics, business, science, and the arts. Indeed, in Trinidad and Tobago "every creed and race finds an equal place" – as sung in our national anthem.
And while the list of contributions of the Chinese community to Trinidad and Tobago society is impressive, we must not forget the equally remarkable contributions of the sons and daughters of Trinidad and Tobago to China.
Eugene Chen, born to a Cantonese family in southern Trinidad in 1878, served as China's Foreign Minister in the 1920s, and was the legal advisor to the renowned Chinese revolutionary and statesman Sun Yat-sen. He also established some of the first Chinese newspapers in the English language, speaking out against British imperialist interests of the time.
There is also Dai Ailian, an influential icon in the field of the performing arts, who was the co-founder of the National Ballet of China and the first president of the world-renowned Beijing Dance Academy. She, too, was born to a Chinese family in Trinidad in 1916.
Today, Trinidad and Tobago and China continue to stand firmly on our time-honored friendship and close bilateral ties. Our countries share a tradition of high-level political engagement and pragmatic cooperation. Trinidad and Tobago once again made history when we welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping in June 2013, the first (and only) visit by a Chinese head of state to a country of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
In May 2018, Prime Minister Keith Rowley of Trinidad and Tobago visited China, signing several agreements to further enhance cooperation between both sides. One of particular significance was a memorandum of understanding that made Trinidad and Tobago the first CARICOM member state to join the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Since that time, both sides have worked closely together in several areas, including, but not limited to, infrastructural cooperation, health care, and people-to-people exchanges. The economic collaboration between our two countries has resulted in the realization of a number of new infrastructure projects.
Most prominent among these has been the successful joint development of the Phoenix Park Industrial Estate (PPIE), which has expanded Trinidad and Tobago's industrial capacity and stimulated more activity in the country's non-energy sectors. Considered the flagship BRI project in the Caribbean region, the Park can be seen as a shining example of South-South cooperation under the BRI.
File photo shows the main entrance of a factory in the modern Phoenix Park Industrial Estate, built by the Chinese company Beijing Construction Engineering Group (BCEG), in Trinidad and Tobago. [Photo/Xinhua]
Trade between both sides has grown significantly in recent years, with the total trade volume moving from over $1.29 billion in 2022 to $1.34 billion in 2023. Our Chinese friends need not look too far to find evidence of Trinidad and Tobago products in China – with our asphalt paving the runways at the Beijing Daxing International Airport, parts of Chang' an Avenue, and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.
The positive trajectory of the Trinidad and Tobago-China relationship, from 1974 to the present, is testament to our joint commitment to building strong ties despite the challenges related to geographical distance and disparity in size. As we look to the future in anticipation of even greater achievements together, Trinidad and Tobago remains committed to deepening collaboration with China, and looks forward to pursuing new areas for cooperation, and building an even more dynamic partnership.
Analisa Low is the Ambassador of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago to the People's Republic of China.
