Governor General His Excellency Arthur Hanna accepts Letters of Credence from His Excellency Dingxian Hu, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, during a ceremony Wednesday, April 2, 2008 at Government House. (Photo/Tim Aylen)
By: Lindsay Thompson
NASSAU, Bahamas – Governor General His Excellency Arthur Hanna accepted Letters of Credence from Ambassador Dingxian Hu, appointed by the president of the People’s Republic of China to the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, during a ceremony at Government House.
The Governor General said, “Your accreditation today symbolises the continued strengthening of good relations between The Bahamas and the People’s Republic of China, formalised May 23, 1997, and founded upon the principles of mutual respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and mutual non-aggression.”
He said The Bahamas is also aware that the PRC is the oldest continuous world civilisation with about 1.3 billion people and is poised to be the number one economy in the world.
“The Bahamas equally shares the importance attributed to Bahamas/China relations. This relationship has already produced mutually beneficial gains in bilateral and multilateral cooperation,” the Governor General said.
He added that China has also contributed to higher education and technology advancement through the funding of computer systems for Bahamian students.
“The Bahamas, therefore, also shares the commitment of your government to continue to work to bring Bahamas/China friendship and cooperation to a higher level,” the Governor General said.
The People’s Republic of China established its Embassy in The Bahamas on July 21, 1997 and on January 21, 2006, The Bahamas opened its Embassy in Beijing.
Since the establishment of technical assistance, 16 students have been awarded full scholarships to study at the Bachelor and Master Degree levels. For the year 2008-09, the Chinese government has offered five scholarships. Plans have already been set for the construction of a multi-purpose national stadium at the Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre.
Ambassador Dingxian, 52, acknowledged that The Bahamas is an important country in the Caribbean region and since its independence, has enjoyed a stable and prosperous economy and played an active role in international and regional affairs.
“The Chinese Government values its friendly relations and cooperation with The Bahamas, a trustworthy and friend and partner,” he said. “Since the establishment of diplomatic relations 11 years ago, our two countries have deepened friendship and mutual trust, carried out fruitful exchanges and cooperation in political, economic, and cultural fields and worked closely with and supported each other in international and regional affairs.”
Ambassador Dingxian pledged that the Chinese Government would work closely with The Bahamas to bring such relations to a higher level.
Hu Dingxian was born in Guangdong Province in June 1955. He has worked at the People’s Republic of China Embassy in Jamaica, as a staff member and third secretary in the Department of Asian Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; third secretary, Chinese Embassy in the Kingdom of Thailand; and is Director General of Executive Secretary Bureau, the Office of the Foreign Affairs directorate of the CPC Central Committee.
He is married with one daughter.
Ambassador Dingxian replaced Ambassador Yuanming Li, who ended his tour of duty in February, after three years.
