On November 5, 2023, Ambassador Chen Daojiang contributed a signature article titled Even Mountains and Seas Cannot Distance China and Jamaica in Launching a New Journey on Gleaner, promoting the sixth China International Import Expo (CIIE). The full text is as follows:
As a creative undertaking in the history of global trade, the First China International Import Expo (CIIE) was launched in Shanghai in November 2018. It has since then attracted much publicity and created an “open fast track” for countries and global businesses to share in China’s opportunities of development. China made a solemn pledge to the world that “the CIIE, an event to be held on an annual basis, will feature good performance, good results and continued success in the years to come”. This pledge has been fulfilled, and the CIIE has become a showcase of China’s new development paradigm, a platform for high-standard opening-up and a public good for the whole world. It has been adding positive momentum and contributing new wisdom to improving global economic governance, fostering an open world economy and jointly building a community with a shared future for mankind.
From the first to the fifth CIIE, a total of 131 countries and international organizations participated in the Country Exhibition, and over 15,800 companies participated in the Enterprise and Business Exhibition. Around 2,000 items of new products, new technologies and new services were rolled out, and intended deals that are worth US$350 billion were reached. From November 5 to 10 this year, the 6th CIIE, which will be resumed in its physical format, will receive 154 countries and regional and international organizations, over 3,400 companies and 394 thousand professional visitors. The 6th CIIE will return to its pre-pandemic level, making an ever greater pool of friends.
China and Jamaica are strategic partners. They have been steadily advancing their sound bilateral relations and reaped fruitful outcomes in their economic cooperation and trade. According to statistics released by the General Administration of Customs of China, in the first three quarters this year, the bilateral trade between China and Jamaica surpassed US$990 million, marking a substantial 37.68% increase than a year earlier. The CIIE has created important opportunities for China and Jamaica to further intensify their economic interactions and trade. As one of China’s chief trade partners in the Caribbean, Jamaica has been closely following and taking an active part in the CIIE. In November 2019, Prime Minister Andrew Holness personally led a delegation to China and attended the second CIIE where he promoted greater market access for the Blue Mountain Coffee, rum, lobster and other high-quality special products to China and beyond.
In the past six years, as China and Jamaica have become increasingly close in their trade relations, Jamaica, which was a fresh participant in the CIIE, has become a regular guest that is never absent every year. In this year’s CIIE, Jamaica will join again as an invited guest to the Country Exhibition to fully showcase its great investment environment, competitive industries, culture and art, and outcomes in its cooperation with China. The Blue Mountain Coffee will be presented at the CIIE’s Enterprise Exhibition for the sixth consecutive year. We believe that Jamaica will attract renewed global attention with its unique appeal and further expand its trade with China and the rest of the world.
China is committed to conducting cooperation with Jamaica at higher levels and promoting more fruitful, mutually beneficial cooperation outcomes. China would love to work with Jamaica to explore cooperation opportunities in key sectors including trade, investment, infrastructure, ICT, digital economy, new energy and tourism, in a bid to support the achievement of Vision 2030 Jamaica, advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, jointly deliver the Global Development Initiative and realize more diversified, sustainable development.
Openness nurtures new opportunities, powers development and facilitates reforms. The CIIE seeks win-win results and offers opportunities to the world. Jamaica is more than welcome to leverage the platform of the CIIE to bring more of Jamaica’s high-quality special products and brands to China, further deepen its economic cooperation and trade with China, seize the new opportunities afforded by China’s high-standard opening-up and enhance its market presence in China and the wider world, so as to constantly boost the economic development of China and Jamaica, and deliver more benefits to the two peoples.