On May 23, 1997, China formally established diplomatic relations with The Bahamas. On July 19 of the same year, China opened its embassy in Nassau. On August 6, 1999, the Chinese Government agreed to the nomination of Dr. Arthur Alexander Foulkes by the Bahamian Government as the candidate for the first Bahamian non-resident Ambassador to China. To date The Bahamas has not yet established its embassy in China.
After the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Sino-Bahamian relations have been developing smoothly. The two countries have conducted fruitful exchanges and cooperation in the political, economic, cultural and educational fields. The two sides also support each other and enjoy close cooperation in international affairs.
In September, 1995, Bahamian Foreign Minister Janet Bostwick attended the Fourth World Women's Conference sponsored by the United Nations in Beijing at the head of a Bahamian Government Delegation. Vice- Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing met with the delegation.
On September 25-31, 1997, Bahamian Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham paid an official visit to China. It was the first visit to China by a Bahamian Prime Minister since the establishment of diplomatic relations. During the visit, Premier Li Peng held talks with Ingraham. President Jiang Zemin and NPC Standing Committee Chairman Qiao Shi met with Mr. Ingraham and his entourage respectively. Vice-Minister Shi Guangsheng of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation and Bahamian Foreign Minister Janet Bostwick signed, on behalf of their respective governments, the Agreement Between the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas on the Provision of Aid Gratis by the Chinese Government to the Government of The Bahamas.
On June 1-11, 1998, the Hon. Zhivargo S. Laing, Bahamian Minister of State for Youth, Sports and Culture visited China at the head of a Bahamian Government Cultural Delegation at the invitation of Chinese Ministry of Culture. Vice-Chairman Wang Guangying of NPC Standing Committee met with the delegation. Minister of Culture Sun Jiazheng met with the delegation and gave a dinner in honor of the Minister. Apart from Beijing, the delegation also toured Shanghai, Suzhou and Xi'an.
On June 3-8, 1998, Mr. Li Haifeng, Director of the Office of the Overseas Chinese Affairs of the State Council visited the Bahamas. The Bahamian Governor General, Acting Foreign Minister and other officials met with the delegation respectively. The delegation also exchanged views with local Chinese concerning affairs of overseas Chinese in general.
On September 2-6, 1998, Assistant Minister Yang Wensheng of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation visited the Bahamas at the head of a Chinese Government Economic and Trade Delegation. During the visit, Assistant Minister Yang held talks with Bahamian Foreign Minister Janet Bostwick, presented a draft proposal of a framework of preferential loan, and signed with Mrs. Bostwick, on behalf of their respective governments, a note concerning a grant aid provided by the Chinese Government to the Bahamian Government. During his talk with Mrs. Bostwick, Mr. Yang exchanged views with his counterpart on further development of bilateral relations and matters relevant to the Conference Centre Project. Bahamian Prime Minister Ingraham met with the delegation.
On March 9-11, 1999, Vice-Minister Liu Shanzai of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation visited the Bahamas at the head of a Chinese Government Economic and Trade Delegation. Governor-General Turnquest, Prime Minister Ingraham and Foreign Minister Bostwick met with Liu and his party respectively. Vice-Minister Liu signed with Foreign Minister Bostwick on behalf of their respective governments an exchange of notes on a grant aid provided by the Chinese Government to the Bahamian Government.
On April 5-7, 1999, Mr. Zeng Jianhui, Member of NPC Standing Committee and Director of its Foreign Affairs Committee visited the Bahamas. During the visit, Director Zeng and his entourage had cordial and friendly talks respectively with Senate President Bostwick and Speaker of the House of Assembly Mme. Johnson, paid courtesy calls on Governor-General Sir Turnquest, Acting Prime Minister Watson, Foreign Minister Janet Bostwick and Leader of the Opposition Party Perry Christie.
On March 17, 2000, His Excellency Arthur Alexander Foulkes, Bahamian first non-resident Ambassador to China, presented his credentials to His Excellency Jiang Zemin, President of the People's Republic of China.
On December 19-21, 2000, at the invitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Bahamas, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affair Yang Jiechi visited the Bahamas. During the visit, Vice-Minister Yang met with Governor-General Sir Orville Turnquest, Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham, Deputy Prime Minister Frank Watson and Permanent Secretary of Foreign Affairs Missouri Sherman-Peter respectively. Yang held talks with Attorney General and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Bahamas Janet Bostwick. On behalf of Chinese government, Vice-Minister Yang donated 10 sets of computers and printers to the Bahamian government.
On Nov. 8, 2001, Premier Zhu Rongji of the State Council sent a message to the Bahamian Prime Minister Ingraham, expressing solicitude for the Bahamas hit by hurricane.
On May 23, 2002, Premier Zhu Rongji and Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan exchanged messages with their Bahamian counterparts, Prime Minister Christie and Foreign Minister Mitchelle, congratulating on the 5th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the Bahamas.
On June 20-22, 2002, Chinese Government Special Envoy, Deputy Mayor of Shanghai Yan Junqi visited the Bahamas. The delegation met with Foreign Minister Mitchelle, Permanent Secretary of Foreign Affairs Peter, Financial Service and Investment Minister Gibson and Permanent Secretary of Tourism Ministry Dr. Rogers.
On August 27-30, 2002, Vice-Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Ma Xiuhong visited the Bahamas. He met with Governor General Dumont, Prime Minister Christie, Agriculture Minister Gray and Investment Minister Gibson.
On October 27-29, 2002, Deputy Head of the International Liaison Department of the CPC Central Committee Cai Wu visited the Bahamas. He met with Prime Minister Christie, Deputy Prime Minister Pratt and Foreign Minister Mitchelle.
On January 18-20, 2003, State Councilor Wu Yi visited the Bahamas. During the visit, she met with Governor General Dumont and Prime Minister Christie. She held talks with Deputy Prime Minister Pratt and signed the exchange of notes on Chinese Government providing aid gratis to the Bahamas.
On April 10, 2003, Vice-Minister of Communications Hong Shanxiang visited the Bahamas and signed with Foreign Minister Mitchelle an agreement on ocean shipping between China and the Bahamas.
II. Economic and Trade Relations, Economic and Technological Cooperation
In recent years, almost all exports go from China to the Bahamas, except for the year 1995 when China's import from the Bahamas registered $11.65 million. According to the statistics of China General Administration of the Customs, Sino-Bahamas trade volume in 2002 totaled $62.93 million, with Chinese import at $60,000 and export at $62.87 million. The major Chinese exports to the Bahamas are vessels, clothing, shoes and hats, medicine, ready-made oil, toys and light industry products while Chinese imports from the Bahamas mainly are crude oil and fertilizer.
Major Sino-Bahamian joint ventures include the renovation of school classrooms and China providing the Bahamas art school with musical instruments and furniture.
On March 19-22, 2000, at the invitation of the Ministry of Commerce, Agriculture and Industry of the Bahamas, the Vice-Governor Wang Zhenchuan of Heilongjiang Province visited the Bahamas at the head of an economic and trade delegation.
From March 29 to April 1, 2000, Vice-President of China Council of the Promotion of International Trade Wan Jifei visited the Bahamas.
On Nov. 27, 2000, according to the exchange of notes on Sept. 3, 1998, the hand-over ceremony of providing teaching equipments and furniture worth RMB two million by the Chinese government to the Bahamian government was held at the Art School in the Bahamas.
On June 5, 2001, General Manager of the Shipping Co. Ltd from the Tianjin Machinery Export-Import Group of China Wang Hongjian visited the Bahamasat the head of a delegation. During the visit, Wang signed a contract with the Bahamian ship-building consultancy company concerning the Bahamian order of a pleasure boat from China worth $ 3.5 million.
On Nov. 9, 2001, the National Red Cross Society of China sent a message to its Bahamian counterpart, expressing solicitude for the Bahamas hit by hurricane, and also sent over a relief donation.
III. Cultural and Educational Exchanges and Cooperation
In July, 1998, at the invitation of the Bahamian Government, a Chinese acrobatic troupe visited the Bahamas and made an performance tour on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Independence of the Bahamas.
In 1999, the Chinese Ministry of Education agreed to provide two scholarships for the term 1999/2000 to students of the Bahamas.
On Feb. 14-23, 2001, at the invitation of the Information Department of the Foreign Ministry of China, Bahamian Press Club Chairman Ed Bethel visited China at head of a Bahamian press delegation.
From April 28 to May 5, 2001, the Bahamian National Youth Chorus attended the second "Meeting in Beijing" pageant in Beijing.
On Aug. 15, 2001, Chinese Ambassador to the Bahamas Wu Changsheng and the Bahamian Foreign Ministry jointly held a ceremony at which the Chinese government handed over the scholarships for 2001-2002 to Bahamian government. Two Bahamian students received the Chinese scholarships.
IV. Important Bilateral Agreements
(1) Joint Communique Between the People's Republic of China And the Commonwealth of the Bahamas on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations, singed in New York on 23 May, 1997, by Ambassador Wang Xuexian, Acting Permanent Representative of China to the UN and Turnquest, Permanent Representative of the Bahamas to the UN.
(2) Agreement between the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas on the Retention of the Consular Post Headed by An Honorary Consul of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas in the Hong Kong SAR of the People's Republic of China, signed in New York on 23 June 1997 by Chinese Permanent Representative to UN Qin Huasun and Bahamian Permanent Representative to UN Moore on behalf of their respective governments.
(3) Agreement between the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the Government of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas on the Provision of Aid Gratis by the Chinese Government to the Bahamian Government, signed in Beijing in September, 1997, by Chinese Vice-Minister Shi Guangsheng of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation and Bahamian Foreign Minister Janet Bostwick.
(4) Agreement between the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas concerning the Establishment by the Bahamas of a Consulate General in the Hong Kong SAR of the People's Republic of China, signed in Nassau on January 15, 1999, by Chinese Ambassador Ma Shuxue and Bahamian Foreign Minster Janet Bostwick on behalf of their respective governments.
(5) Ocean Shipping Agreement between the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, signed in Nassau on April 10, 2003, by Vice-Minister of Communications Hong Shanxiang and Foreign Minister Mitchelle on behalf of their respective governments.