On May 12, 2020, China and the Caribbean countries having diplomatic relations with China held the special vice-ministerial meeting on COVID-19 via video link. Representatives from China and nine Caribbean countries including Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, the Bahamas, the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica attended the meeting. Vice Foreign Minister Zheng Zeguang and Kenneth Darroux, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Business and Relations with the Diaspora of the Commonwealth of Dominica, co-chaired the special meeting. Roosevelt Skerrit, Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica, attended and addressed the meeting.

Zheng Zeguang briefed nine countries on China’s epidemic prevention and control situation. He pointed out, under President Xi Jinping’s personal command and deployment, and thanks to arduous efforts of the Chinese people, China has achieved major strategic results in the COVID-19 containment. At present, on the one hand, we continue to step up epidemic prevention and control, and prevent imported infections and epidemic rebound at home; and on the other hand, we also speed up the orderly resumption of work and production, and restore normal order of production and life as soon as possible. Enjoying a long-term friendship, China and the Caribbean countries have been helping and supporting each other in fighting the epidemic. Zheng Zeguang expressed China’s readiness to provide the Caribbean countries with assistance to the best of its ability, share experience in fighting the epidemic and treatment plans, and provide supplies and technical assistance in the fight against COVID-19. While facilitating nine countries’ commercial procurement of their medical supplies in China, the Chinese side will at the same time actively expand practical cooperation with all countries in trade, investment and other fields, and strengthen communication and coordination in international and regional organizations, so as to jointly take bilateral relations to new highs.

Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit congratulated on the convening of the special meeting and expressed thanks to China for providing assistance to the Commonwealth of Dominica and other Caribbean countries in fighting the pandemic. Representatives of nine Caribbean countries noted, attaching great importance to developing theirs relations with China, the Caribbean countries will adhere to the One China policy, and render mutual support on issues regarding respective core interests and major concerns. The Caribbean side expressed its readiness to enhance epidemic prevention cooperation with the Chinese side to safeguard the global health security together, and its opposition to politicizing, stigmatizing and labeling the epidemic. The Caribbean countries support the World Health Organization in playing a leading role in international cooperation against the virus, adhere to multilateralism, and work hard to safeguard the security of the global industrial and supply chains to promote economic stability and recovery of all countries. Representatives of Caribbean countries also expressed its willingness to enhance communication and coordination with China in the United Nations and other international and regional organizations, in a bid to jointly safeguard the interests of developing countries.

After the meeting, both sides issued a joint press communiqué of the special vice-ministerial meeting among China and the Caribbean countries having diplomatic relations with China on COVID-19.