Dominicans from various sectors of society have welcomed the establishment of diplomatic ties between the Dominican Republic and China.
The decision, announced Monday, was greeted as a "significant" step that will "bear fruit in a very short time" for the Caribbean island nation, which is home to 10 million people.
Dominican Minister of Policies for Regional Integration Miguel Mejia, a former special envoy for two presidents -- incumbent President Danilo Medina and his predecessor Leonel Fernandez, said closer ties with China and its people are bound to have a positive impact on his country's trade and technological progress.
China's seat on the United Nations Security Council also makes it a significant political partner, said Mejia.
The Dominican business community regards the news as a positive sign for the development of its local industry.
"The ties with China are very important for the Dominican Republic, because at this time we could easily turn into a transfer point for Chinese products exported to the Americas," Campos de Moya, director of the Dominican Republic Association of Industries, said.
Fernando Capellan, president of the Association for the Development of Santiago and textile firm Grupo M, congratulated Medina's administration on establishing ties with China.
"This is a significant decision that the president and his aides have made. We congratulate the government. It is the right decision. We will see it bear fruit in a very short time," said Capellan.
The Dominican Revolutionary Party, one of the country's main political parties, hailed the decision in a statement, saying it will promote its country's economic and financial development.
The party's president, Miguel Vargas, who is also Dominican foreign affairs minister, signed the "significant" agreement on the establishment of diplomatic ties in Beijing.
The National Association of Hotels and Restaurants welcomed the news as a boon for tourism, given the growing number of Chinese tourists traveling abroad.
"It is a great opportunity for the Dominican Republic since we can certainly get to receive a great number of Chinese tourists after promotion," Joel Santos, the president of the association, said.
