(Jamaica Observer) BEIJING, China — The governments of Jamaica and China have signed four agreements among which will see the Asian superpower provide the island with billions of dollars in grants and loans to facilitate infrastructure development.
The agreements reaffirm growing ties between Jamaica and China, which is now the island’s biggest trading partner, and followed an official welcome ceremony for Jamaican Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
“It is really a pleasure for us to be here and I want to thank you on behalf of the delegation for the warmth and hospitality we have received since being here,” Simpson Miller told Chinese Premier Li Keqiang during the ceremony, which saw the Jamaican head of state welcomed with red carpet and gun salute.
The agreements include the construction of schools and loan support for the Major Infrastructure Development Programme (MIDP).
