Prime Minister Andrew Holness says Jamaica and China will focus on increasing trade, particularly in getting more Jamaican goods into the Chinese market.

Holness said that already Jamaica has begun exporting live lobsters to China, and is in the process of finalising the procedures with the Chinese authorities to allow for the export of frozen lobsters.

“The new strategic partnership reflects an enhanced level of engagement between the two countries within the context of Jamaica’s participation in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI),” he said.

Holness was delivering a Statement to the House of Representatives on November 19, following his recent eight-day official working visit to the People’s Republic of China.

“The strategic partnership positions Jamaica to pursue development cooperation with China, in keeping with our own clearly defined national development strategic priorities on the basis of mutual respect and shared benefits,” the Prime Minister pointed out.

Belt and Road Initiative

The BRI is a new model of international development cooperation, promoting broad and inclusive connectivity across countries and regions. It also provides a powerful framework to ensure that development cooperation brings shared benefits to China and its partners.

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Jamaica’s Southern Coastal Highway Improvement Project to start[/naviga:li][/naviga:ul]

Holness reiterated that Jamaica will not negotiate any new loan programmes with China, as it seeks to reduce the country’s debt.

“Infrastructure projects will, therefore, take the modalities of joint-venture partnership, public-private partnership or private-sector partnerships directly between Jamaican firms and Chinese firms as the normal course of business,” he said.