On January 26, Mayor Gong Zheng of Shanghai met with Prime Minister Browne and his delegation from Antigua and Barbuda. Mayor Gong expressed that Shanghai is willing to seize the opportunity of high-quality development under the Belt and Road Initiative, further strengthen exchanges and cooperation with Antigua and Barbuda in various fields such as infrastructure construction, healthcare, new energy vehicles, agriculture, and tourism, enhance personnel exchanges, and achieve mutual benefits.
Mayor Gong, on behalf of the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government, extended a warm welcome to Prime Minister Browne and the delegation’s visit to Shanghai. He stated, “Currently, we are accelerating the construction of a socialist modern international metropolis with global influence in accordance with the new positioning, new judgments, new requirements, and new tasks proposed by President Xi Jinping for Shanghai’s development. Antigua and Barbuda is an important cooperative partner for China in the Caribbean region and one of the earliest countries to establish diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China in the Eastern Caribbean region. Shanghai is willing to take the opportunity of high-quality development under the Belt and Road Initiative to further strengthen exchanges and cooperation with Antigua and Barbuda in various fields such as infrastructure construction, healthcare, new energy vehicles, agriculture, and tourism, enhance personnel exchanges, and achieve mutual benefits. We welcome Antigua and Barbuda enterprises to make good use of the China International Import Expo (CIIE) platform to introduce distinctive goods and services to Shanghai and China. We believe that Prime Minister Browne’s visit will further propel bilateral exchanges and cooperation to broader and higher levels.”
Prime Minister Browne acknowledged China as the world’s second-largest economy and highlighted the exemplary relationship between China and Antigua and Barbuda over the 41 years of diplomatic ties, emphasizing the model of cooperation between nations of different sizes. He stated, “We have witnessed China’s and Shanghai’s developmental transformations and felt the vibrant energy. We are willing to become a reliable partner for China, deepen strategic alignment, and achieve common progress. We welcome investments and cooperation from Shanghai and also invite Shanghai tourists for sightseeing. We look forward to leveraging the support of China and Shanghai to transform Antigua and Barbuda into a hub for healthcare excellence in the Caribbean.”
The meeting was attended by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Antigua and Barbuda, Mr. Greene, Ambassador Stuart-Young, Ambassador Zhang Yanling of China to Antigua and Barbuda, Deputy Mayor Hua Yuan of Shanghai, among others.
