Minister the Hon. Alfred Sears Wraps up Visit to China
Minister of National Insurance and Immigration, the Hon. Alfred Sears recently paid a visit to China for the China-CELAC Forum. The meeting coincided with the 28th anniversary of diplomatic relations between The Bahamas and China.
12th May 2025
Caribbean Ministers and Heads of Delegations meeting with the Mr. WANG Yi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China: The Honourable Alfred M. Sears, Minister of Immigration and National Insurance, participated in a meeting of Caribbean Ministers and Heads of Delegations with the Honourable Mr. WANG Yi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, on 12 May. The meeting discussed matters of mutual interest, including strengthening relations with China, through continued cooperation, in a wide range of sectors, to build and sustain economic development.
The participating Caribbean countries also reaffirmed their commitment to the One China Policy, a significant pillar in China’s bilateral relations. Minister WANG Yi conveyed appreciation for the strong support received from the countries in the Caribbean and for their stand on continued cooperation with China. He also expressed the view that, regardless of size or power, all countries are equal, and reaffirmed China’s support for the continued development of the Small Island States (SIDS) of the Caribbean. Minister Sears was accompanied by H.E. Ms. Paulette Bethel, Ambassador of The Bahamas to China and Ms. Julie Campbell, Minister Plenipotentiary at The Bahamas Embassy in Beijing.
13th May 2025
Fourth China-CELAC Forum: The Honourable Alfred M. Sears, Minister of Immigration and National Insurance, led the delegation of The Bahamas to the Fourth China-CELAC Forum that took place in Beijing, China on 13 May, 2025. The delegation included the Honourable Michael Darville, Minister of Health and Wellness, H.E. Ms. Paulette Bethel, Ambassador of The Bahamas to China, Ms. Julie Campbell, Minister Plenipotentiary at The Bahamas Embassy in Beijing, and Ms. Marisa Greene and Ms. Tyler Symonette, Foreign Service officers at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
At the opening ceremony, President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote address wherein he expressed appreciation for the longstanding commitment of the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) to the One-China Principle. He also noted the commitment of China and LAC to multilateralism, international fairness and justice, global governance reform and the promotion of multipolarization. President Xi also announced the launch of five programmes – the Solidarity Programme, the Development Programme, the Civilization Programme, the Peace Programme, and the People-to-People Connectivity Progamme – designed to advance the shared development and revitalization of the China-LAC community. The meeting concluded with the adoption of the Beijing Declaration of the Fourth Ministerial Meeting of the China-CELAC Forum which, inter alia, underscored the importance of South-South cooperation in the development process, as well as adherence to the UNFCCC, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement.
The Forum also adopted the China-CELAC Action Plan for Cooperation in Key Areas (2025-2027), which includes actions to tackle poverty alleviation, improve agricultural cooperation platforms, and strengthen exchanges on green energy transition, to name just a few.
14th – 15th May 2025
Minister Sears’ Visit to Hainan Province: During his trip to China for the China-CELAC Forum on 13 May, the Honourable Minister Alfred M. Sears paid a two-day visit (14-15 May) to Hainan Province for discussions with provincial government authorities, research institutes and others regarding possible cooperation, collaboration and exchange opportunities between the Province and The Bahamas. H.E. Mr. LIU Pingzhi, Member of the CPC Leadership Group of the Hainan Provincial People’s Government, hosted a dinner in honour of Minister Sears and his delegation, in Haikou, the capital of the Province. Mr. Liu expressed the hope that this visit would be the start of an expanding relationship between Hainan and The Bahamas, noting the similarities that they share, including climate, a vibrant tourism industry and a Free Trade Port facility.
Minister Sears thanked Mr. Liu for his warm welcome and conveyed that there is great potential for the development of a meaningful relationship, and that there are many levels on which both sides can engage to their mutual benefit. During a visit to the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agriculture Sciences (CATAS) in Wenchang city, Minister Sears met with Mr. LI Jihua, Vice President of the Academy and his team who outlined the work they do to protect, promote and enhance tropical agricultural production. Minister Sears also paid a site visit to the Coconut Research Institute (CRI), an arm of CATAS, where the focus is on ensuring the safe and expanding production of certain varieties of coconuts. The CRI has engaged with numerous tropical countries, particularly in the Pacific, by providing technical assistance and arranging talent exchanges with those countries. Minister Sears was also given a tour of the Wenchang Chunguang Coconut Kingdom where he was able to witness firsthand the some of the many coconut products and crafts that have been developed in this area.
16th May 2025
28th Anniversary of the establishment of Diplomatic relations between the Commonwealth of The Bahamas and the People’s Republic of China: On 16 May, H.E. Ms. Paulette Bethel, Ambassador of The Bahamas to China, hosted a reception in celebration of the twenty-eighth anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Commonwealth of The Bahamas and the People’s Republic of China. On behalf of the government of The Bahamas, remarks were made by the Honourable Alfred M. Sears, Minister of Immigration and National Insurance who was in Beijing at the time as head of delegation for the China-CELAC Forum that had taken place earlier in the week.
Minister Sears expressed the appreciation of The Bahamas government and people for the friendly and expanding relationship between the two countries and outlined some of the joint projects that have been undertaken over the years. H.E. Mr. ZHAO Run, Director General of the Latin American and Caribbean Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, also made remarks and pointed to the long-standing friendship between The Bahamas and China which is based on a relationship of equality and mutual respect, and has resulted in benefits for the peoples of both countries. The event was attended by Chinese government officials, Ambassadors and representatives of the diplomatic corps, representatives of international organizations, business associates, the media and members of the Bahamian diaspora.