Hunan, Grand Bahama Island Sign Friendship Letter of Intent

Hunan Province and the Grand Bahama Island of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas signed a letter of intent (LOI) via video link on establishing a friendship-city relationship on August 29, 2022. The Hunan government signed an MoU on agricultural cooperation with the Bahamas Ministry of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Family Island Affairs and a hand-over certificate of donated medical facilities with the Bahamas Ministry of Health and Wellness.

Philip Davis, prime minister of the Bahamas, Mao Weiming, deputy secretary of the CPC Hunan Provincial Committee and Hunan governor, and Dai Qingli, Chinese ambassador to the Bahamas, attended and delivered speeches.

Persons in charge of relevant Bahamas authorities were present, including Michael Darville, Bahamas minister of Health and Wellness; Ginger Moxey, Bahamas minister for Grand Bahama; Jamahl Strachan, parliamentary secretary in the Bahamas Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and, Leonardo Lightbourne, parliamentary secretary in the Bahamas Ministry of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Family Island Affairs. Deng Qunce, secretary general of the Hunan Provincial People's Government, presided over the signing ceremony.

The Bahamas is an archipelagic country comprising over 700 coral islands, islets and cays in the West Atlantic Ocean. It covers an area of 259,000 sq. km and has a population of about 385,000. It is one of the wealthiest countries in the Caribbean area, with tourism and financial industries as its pillars.

Philip Davis spoke highly of Hunan's economic and social development outcomes and expressed gratitude for Hunan's generous assistance to the Bahamas in fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic. Hunan is the birthplace of China's late chairman Mao Zedong, he said, adding that Hunan is one of the most vibrant provinces in China with spectacular landscapes in Zhangjiajie and a full-fledged industrial system. The Bahamas boasts enchanting beaches and sunshine. Its thriving tourism and financing industries complement Hunan's economy and have substantial bilateral cooperation potential. The Bahamas is willing to advance high-level exchanges and regional collaborations with China's provinces and regions, such as Hunan, to strengthen the Bahamas-China partnership and lead to more achievements in bilateral cooperation.

Governor Mao congratulated the signing and briefed the guests about Hunan's profile. He mentioned that Hunan has fully implemented Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy, and made due contributions to China's overall diplomacy in recent years. Hunan has continued to deepen exchanges and cooperation with the Bahamas in agriculture, medical care, and tourism. The people's mutual trust and friendship have been strengthened in the joint fight against the pandemic. The Chinese often say, "Distance cannot separate true friends who remain close even when thousands of miles apart." Hunan expects to further enhance in-depth cooperation with the Bahamas in medical care, wellness, agriculture, economy and trade, culture, education, and tourism, to contribute to the China-Bahamas friendly relationship, said Mao.

Ambassador Dai noted in his speech that the China-Bahamas relationship had maintained a healthy and stable development in recent years. Fruitful outcomes have been made in exchanges and cooperation in various fields, and the friendship between the people of China and the Bahamas deepened. This time, the cooperation agreements between Hunan and the Bahamas are witness to the friendly exchanges between the two countries. Furthermore, this year marks the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relationship between China and the Bahamas. He hoped that Hunan and the Bahamas would take this opportunity to enhance other high-level exchanges, economic and trade cooperation, and cultural communication and advance technological exchanges in such aspects of agriculture and healthcare to continue creating new glory for China-Bahamas friendship.