Xi's visit to promote co-op with Trinidad and Tobago: ambassador

President Xi Jinping's upcoming state visit to Trinidad and Tobago will help transform the two countries' profound friendship into impetus to their bilateral cooperation, Chinese Ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago Huang Xingyuan has said.

"This visit is of profound historic and practical significance as it will be the first visit by a Chinese president to Trinidad and Tobago," Huang said in a recent interview with Xinhua.

"It therefore reflects China's will and determination to enhance and expand relations with Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean region," he added. Xi will visit Trinidad and Tobago between May 31 and June 2.

The ambassador said the two countries have enjoyed a long history of exchanges and friendship since the Chinese people set foot on Trinidad and Tobago more than 200 years ago, long before the formal establishment of their diplomatic relations on June 20, 1974.

Over the past 39 years, China has kept stable relations with Trinidad and Tobago and the two countries have maintained extensive exchanges and cooperation in various areas, such as politics, economy and culture, Huang said.

He stressed that with the establishment of "friendly and cooperative relationship of mutual benefit and development" in 2005, China and Trinidad and Tobago have witnessed frequent high-level exchanges, which fully embody the high attention and positive attitude of the two countries toward enhancing their bilateral relations.

Based on political mutual trust and mutual support, the two countries have maintained close communication on major international and regional issues and firmly supported each other especially on issues concerning their respective core interests, Huang said.

On bilateral economic and trade ties, the ambassador said the cooperation in both public and private sectors between the two countries has been springing up in recent years with bilateral trade surpassing 627 million U.S. dollars in 2011.

"We've seen an increasing number of businessmen from Trinidad and Tobago investing in China and Chinese businessmen frequenting Trinidad and Tobago to explore market," he added.