OPPOSITION Senator Dr Chris Tufton left the island yesterday for Beijing, China to participate in a three-week seminar on the economic administration for Latin America, Caribbean and South Pacific countries.

The trip is sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China.

Tufton — a former minister of agriculture and investment, industry and commerce and currently the co-executive director of the Caribbean Policy Research Institute (CaPRI) — will participate in a series of formal and practical sessions on Chinese business and developmental policy hosted by the Academy for International Business Interests (AIBO). He, being the only Jamaican attending the seminar, will join participants involved in the public and private sector throughout the Caribbean, Latin America and the South Pacific region.

Senator Tufton said he was excited about the prospects of being exposed to and learning about China's culture, business and policy perspectives and how the interests of the government and people of China aligns to the interests of Jamaica and the Caribbean people.

"The relationship between Jamaica and China has gotten stronger and mutually beneficial over time, and so it is important that there is exposure to facilitate better understanding between our respective countries", he said.