ARTS / CULTURE & LEISURE
Event brings true taste of Caribbean culture to Beijing
Published: May 29, 2023 10:54 PM
 
Dignataries at the 2023 Caribbean Experience event

Dignataries at the Caribbean Experience 2023 event

The Caribbean Experience 2023: An Exclusive Immersion of Culture, a celebratory gala that brings Chinese visitors close to the Caribbean's diverse culture, was recently held at the Embassy of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana in Beijing. 

Member countries of the Caucus of Caribbean Embassies in Beijing which is comprised of the Embassies of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, Barbados, the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, the Republic of Suriname and the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, jointly hosted the event.

Visitors were able to taste Caribbean delights such as coffee, rum, food and desserts. Participants were also entertained by shows such as Trinidad and Tobago's Nightshift Band and a Caribbean dance medley performed by Jamaican Tashania Bent.

The event showcased the history and cultures of the Caribbean, as well as honored the longstanding ties of friendship and solidarity between China and the region. 

Cai Wei, the director general of the Latin American and Caribbean Affairs from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China (PRC), attended the event and highlighted the long-standing China-Caribbean friendship in his speech. 

Cai stressed that China has supported the Caribbean in areas such as education through training programs and also facilitated cultural exchanges by establishing several Confucius institutes throughout the Caribbean.

China and the Caribbean have "different cultural characteristics," he said, adding that exchanges in areas like music, sports and dance are becoming increasingly frequent. 

The director general also noted the endearment that Jamaicans have for those of Chinese ancestry. 

Taking Guyana's Chinese Arrival Day as an example, Cai noted that Chinese holidays and festivals have also been acknowledged in the Caribbean. The Republic of Suriname recognizes the Chinese New Year Festival as an official holiday. 

At the event, Pick Fung Ho-Chong, the ambassador of the Republic of Suriname to China and the chair of the Caribbean Caucus of Ambassadors in Beijing, stressed that bilateral relations between the Caribbean and China have continued to be positive and have grown steadily and exponentially. 

"Notwithstanding the geographical distance between our countries and China, we all maintain a special bond of friendship nurtured with mutual respect," She said. 

Besides the ambassador, several dignataries also attended the event including Mrs. Anyin Choo, Ambassador of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana to China, Hallam Henry, Ambassador of Barbados to China, Analisa Low, Ambassador of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago to China, Dr. Paulette Bethel, Ambassador of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas to China, Mrs. Melissa Pryce, Charge d' Affaires of the Embassy of Jamaica to China and Ms. Tricia Bethel Charge d' Affaires of Grenada.