With China celebrating the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) under Chairman Mao, the Chinese Embassy in Kingston put on a wonderful event at the Pegasus Hotel in Kingston on Monday evening. China has become a world superpower, growing its economy and making its mark on the world and not by the usual route of colonisation and naked aggression against other nations.

Rather, China has been able to tap into the industriousness of its people and has managed to be the top exporter in the world. This year also marks the 47th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Jamaica. Chinese Ambassador to Jamaica, Tian Qi noted that China-Jamaica relations continue to grow and flourish, with fruitful exchange and cooperation in various fields.

“The Memorandum of Understanding on the Belt and Road Initiative signed on April 11, 2019, between the governments of China and Jamaica, is of great significance and represents a further strengthening of the relationship between our two countries. China looks forward to jointly pushing forward the high-quality construction of the Belt and Road with Jamaica and Jamaica’s leading role in the Caribbean in enhancing connectivity by promoting policy synergy, infrastructure development, unimpeded trade, financial cooperation and people-to-people bond, for the common well-being of our people,” said Ambassador Tian.

Turning his attention to China’s progress, he pointed out that China’s GDP hit US$13.14 trillion in 2018. And that from 1949 to 2018, China’s per capita gross national income increased 135 times from roughly $70 to $9,470.

Ambassador Tian declared: “At the early stage of the People’s Republic of China, most of the industrial goods depended on import. Now China is the world’s largest industrial country with the most complete industrial system, the largest trader in goods, and the top producer of more than 200 products. China’s contribution to global economic growth has surpassed 30 per cent in recent years. Its economic growth rate in 2018 ranked first among the world’s five biggest economies, and it continues to be the largest contributor to global economic growth. Over the past 40 years of reform and opening-up, China has lifted more than 700 million people out of poverty.”

He made it clear that despite the complex external economic environment, China’s GDP still maintained a medium-high rate of growth in the first half of this year, up 6.3 per cent year on year, a good performance amid the global slowdown of economic growth.