Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) in Beijing has a new President. He is LIN Songtian, former ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to the Republic of South Africa. He succeeds Madame LI Xiaolin. The Association for Barbados-China Friendship (ABCF) on April 20 sent a letter of congratulation to Mr Lin, acknowledging the support we have received from the CPAFFC, and looking forward to our future collaboration. Our members understand very well that the surest way to appreciate our common humanity is through personal friendships and shared personal experiences of our two cultures. To this end, the ABCF complements the work of Barbados’ ambassador to China, Francois Jackman, and the staff of our embassy in Beijing.
The ABCF is pleased with the support we have received from the CPAFFC, including sending a delegation headed by Mr Ji Youngjun, Deputy Director-General of the CPAFFC Department of American and Oceanian Affairs to join us for the launch of our Association in May last year.
In our letter of congratulation to the new President, the ABCF commends the Chinese authorities for the advice and material support that China is providing for Barbados’ ongoing battle with the Covid-19 virus.
We deeply appreciate Chinese Government support for the institutions of global governance, including the World Trade Organisation and the World Health Organisation, WHO. Through networks of global collaboration, under WHO auspices, China has shared comprehensive information on the Covid-19 virus. This information sharing has been crucial in the understanding of its characteristics, and the development of vaccines and therapies for effective treatment of the disease.
It is already the case that China has contributed more than any nation to the well-being of humankind in the 21st century, by exporting a very wide range of goods and services at affordable prices to markets worldwide. In addition, Chinese investment in major infrastructure projects such as the East African Single Gauge Railway provide new economic development opportunities for many nations and scores of millions of people.
The ABCF has established a website, ABCF-BB.com, to better inform Barbadians about China and the Chinese; in time, we hope to provide Chinese-language content on Barbadian life and culture. We publish an annual magazine, Exchanges; stories from the first issue (for 2019) are posted to our website.
The technologies available to us in the 21st century provide opportunities unparalleled in human history to eliminate want and to assure all mankind of a decent living. But for that, we must all overcome our instincts of fear and suspicion of others, and learn the lessons of trust, cooperation and mutual respect. That seems a distant target, but, however long, it is the journey on which we must now embark. The ABCF is dedicated to providing new avenues for the blending of Barbadian, Caribbean and Chinese cultures and experiences, together with our colleagues at the CPAFFC.
The ABCF Executive
R. DeLisle Worrell, Ph D, President
Dr Chelston Brathwaite, Vice President David Bulbulia, Vice President Deborah Harper, Secretary
Daniel Hinds, Assistant Secretary
Contact us at ABCFBBassn@gmail.com.
The ABCF mission is to build a deeper understanding between the Chinese people and Barbadians and Caribbean people from all walks of life. The association’s focus is on personal experiences, people-to-people contact, cultural exchanges and exchanges of ideas, and the facilitation of travel, business and study. From the outset we aim to learn from and build on the experiences of the Caribbean and China, and to develop mutual understandings and support that will be to the benefit of both sides.
