A delegation from the Chamber of the Cayman Islands travelled to Jamaica last week to view first hand the projects being undertaken in the island by multi-national contractor, China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC).

Among the sites visited were the Palisadoes Road Project, the Rio Grande Bridge and Christiana. Leading up the visit, Cayman Islands Premier McKeeva Bush along with a delegation from the island, which included government officials and private sector interests, traveled to China for the two day long China Offshore Summit. The October 26 to 27 Shanghai summit was attended by China’s leading financial intermediaries, and professional associations saw the presentation of the Cayman Island Business Case by Premier Bush and his delegation.

The group sold to the over 500 international potential investors, the Cayman Islands as the ideal offshore financial management destination.

“They offered strong validation for the country’s leadership position in the financial services sector and explained why Cayman structures are so highly sought after,” said a representative from Bush’s office.

The delegation also broke down the requirements of establishing not just financial investments but also a physical presence on the island.

The trip facilitated a meeting with CHEC, which has pledged to finance and build the cruise berthing facility in Cayman Island capital, George Town. After a few months of delay, the project is expected to begin before the end of the year. The Chinese government owned Construction Company has been investing heavily in the infrastructural development throughout the Caribbean.

CHEC established its regional headquarters in Jamaica in April of 2010. This office was set up after signing an agreement with the Jamaican government in 2009 to be the General Contractor under the Ministry of Transport and Works and the National Works Agency for two main project: the Palisadoes Shoreline Protection and Rehabilitation Works and the all island Jamaica Development Infrastructure Programme (JDIP).

China Harbour also signed a contract with the government of the Bahamas recently for the construction of the Abaco Bridge which will link North Abaco to Little Abaco and also the building of the Abaco Port. These works are intended to solve the problem of congestion in Marsh Harbour Port and also encourage the development of Abaco.

The company also won the bidding for the construction of Phase One of the Manznaillo Container Terminal in Mexico.The contract signed on September 6 of this year will see the construction of two 720-meter container berth coastlines, a 28.5-hectare container yard, an integrated transportation area.

CHEC Latin America general manager Zhongdong Tang said that it is the company’s intention to improve the infrastructure of this region and bring it in line with what exists in the East.

“We are committed to developing this region and improving the infrastructure that now exists,” he said.