China and Jamaica – partners in development

The distance between Beijing and Kingston is 13,422 kilometres. People may find it hard to connect two countries that are halfway across the world, but reality is the opposite.

Jamaica has long enjoyed fame in China as the fastest country in the world. Usain Bolt, the greatest sprinter of all times, rocked the world and thrilled all sport-loving Chinese at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Reggae music, Jamaican rum, lobster, and Blue Mountain coffee are all popular among the Chinese people. In fact, in November this year, Jamaica’s Blue Mountain coffee was showcased, for the fifth time in a row, at the China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai. Moreover, Jamaica is the first Caribbean country to establish a strategic partnership with China and the first Caribbean country to sign a cooperation plan with China on jointly promoting the Belt and Road Initiative.

For Jamaican people, they may learn about China in their daily lives. The North-South Highway, invested and built by a Chinese company, is known as the most beautiful highway in Jamaica. Projects such as the Montego Bay Perimeter Road Project and the South Coast Highway Project are expected to strengthen infrastructure, create jobs, and spur local economic growth. Chinese tech giant Huawei, having operated in Jamaica for 15 years, is regarded as a critical partner in Jamaica’s digital transformation.

DYNAMIC EXCHANGES

Robust practical cooperation and dynamic exchanges have been the defining theme between China and Jamaica, who are now celebrating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic ties. Such vibrant and fruitful cooperation is powered by an inexhaustible engine: the two countries’ shared pursuit of sustainable development. Jamaica’s pursuit is encapsulated in its Vision 2030, the country’s first long-term strategic development plan that aims to guide Jamaica to achieve its goals of sustainable development and prosperity by 2030. And China’s long-term development vision was well articulated at the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), concluded last October, that is, to build China into a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful by the middle of this century.

Development is real only when all countries develop together. Prosperity and stability cannot be possible in a world where the rich become richer while the poor are made poorer. This is the conviction of Chinese President Xi Jinping. China’s relentless pursuit of development for all is well captured at the 20th CPC National Congress as its report states unequivocally that China strives to create new opportunities for the world with its own development and to contribute its share to building an open global economy that delivers greater benefits to all peoples and that it is prepared to invest more resources in global development cooperation and is committed to narrowing the North-South gap and supporting and assisting other developing countries in accelerating development.

That is why China has put forward the Global Development Initiative (GDI), prioritising development cooperation in such areas as poverty eradication, food security, financing for development, climate action, industrialisation, digital economy and connectivity. The very purpose of the GDI is to address imbalance in development. Now over 100 countries and international organisations are working with China on the initiative, all in a bid to build a global community of development.

Every nation aspires for a better life. Building a community with a shared future for mankind is a vision offered by China to the world. This vision embraces the simple – yet common – aspiration of all people, that is, to make global development beneficial to all.

JUNCAO

In this vein, China and Jamaica, though half a world apart, have much to do together. A good case in point is Juncao, which literally means “mushroom” and “grass” in Chinese. At the beginning of this year, a Juncao technology matchmaking event was held on line by the Chinese Embassy in Jamaica, bringing together officials from the Jamaican Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries as well as the United Nations. They explored possibilities to bring China’s Juncao technology to Jamaica.

Juncao technology uses herbaceous plants to cultivate mushrooms; enables circular production of grass, mushrooms, and livestock; provides CO2 sink; and at the same time, helps fertilise desert areas. In a word, it is a simple, accessible, and low-cost technology that produces quick rewards. Over the past 20 years, the technology has been introduced to over 100 countries. In Papua New Guinea, it has benefited over 30,000 local people. In Fiji, the Juncao planting area has exceeded 500 hectares, and produces nearly 50,000 tons of high-quality forage every year, effectively alleviating the shortage of green fodder in the dry season. In Rwanda, the Juncao project has reached more than 3,800 households and is directly supporting 50 cooperatives and companies. So the two countries are now working with UN experts to see what Juncao could do for young people, women, and local communities in Jamaica.

This is just one of many projects the two countries are working on together, a small example of the tremendous potential for China-Jamaica development cooperation. Going forward, the two countries will build on what they have achieved over the past half a century and keep working as partners of development towards a sustainable future.

- Yi Fan is a Beijing-based current affairs commentator who has contributed to The Straits Times, China Daily, The Brussels Times and CGTN.