Antigua and Barbuda and China Set for High-Level Discussions in Beijing

Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister, Gaston Browne, has led a high-level delegation to the People’s Republic of China for crucial bilateral talks.

The delegation, which includes Health Minister Sir Molwyn Joseph, Foreign Affairs Minister E.P. Chet Greene, Chief of Staff in the Prime Minister’s Office, Ambassador Lionel Hurst, and Chairman of the National Solid Waste Management Authority, Michael Joseph, left yesterday afternoon for Beijing.

ABS’s Garfield Burford is also accompanying the government officials on the trip

China is Antigua and Barbuda’s most significant development partner, and its contributions to various areas of infrastructural development have been invaluable.

The visit is expected to cover a wide range of discussions related to bilateral cooperation, trade, and investments.

Browne, was invited to China by Chinese Premier Li Qiang for the trip, that will last until the 28th of this month.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, detailed Browne’s visit during a regular press briefing, stating that President Xi Jinping will meet with the Prime Minister, while Premier Li Qiang will hold talks with him.

Additionally, the two will attend a signing ceremony for cooperation documents. Zhao Leji, the Chairman of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, will also hold talks with Browne.

During the visit, the two sides will have an extensive exchange of views on bilateral relations and issues of common concern.

They will plan the future development of China-Antigua and Barbuda relations, hoping to deepen practical cooperation in various areas.

Moreover, Browne and his team will visit China’s Zhejiang Province and Shanghai.

The spokesperson pointed out that over the years, bilateral relations have made significant progress and have become a model for countries to achieve mutual respect, equal treatment, mutual benefit, and common development.

As 2023 marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral relations, Mao expressed her hope that the visit would further enhance political mutual trust, consolidate the traditional friendship between the two countries, and push bilateral relations to a new level.