The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, the Hon. Darren A. Henfield, MP, received a farewell call at the Ministry this morning, 17 November 2020, by His Excellency HUANG Qinguo, whose tenure as a resident Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to The Bahamas began on 25 May 2016, when he presented his Letters of Credence to the former Governor-General, Dame Marguerite Pindling.
Minister Henfield warmly welcomed Ambassador Huang and commended him on his efforts over the course of these past four and one-half years, during which The Bahamas and China enhanced the development of an already strong friendship between the two countries.
The Ambassador and the Minister noted the many activities that had enriched the efforts on the ground: The many meetings, numerous technical assistance programmes and scholarships, the bilateral support mechanism in areas of candidacies on international bodies, the signing of an Air Service Agreement on 26 September 2019 in Montreal, Canada, the signing of a second Bilateral Economic and Technical Co-operation Agreement, the completion of the North Abaco Port and Lobster Export Agreement, the completion and opening of Baha Mar Resort in April 2017, and the soon-to-be-opened The Pointe Complex.
They also recalled the significant assistance from the Chinese Government during the many hurricanes over the years, including Hurricanes Matthew, Irma and Dorian, which have had severe impacts on the country, and now for the donations of funds and medical equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Minister Henfield recognised that the hard work and dedication of Ambassador Huang during his tenure demonstrated how invaluable the bilateral relationship is between the two countries. He noted that much had been done and that the Ministry was looking forward to receiving Ambassador Huang’s successor and working to continue building on and strengthening these bilateral relations.
The Minister, on behalf of the Government and people of The Bahamas, as well as the Ministry, expressed thanks to Ambassador Huang and his wife, Madam ZHENG Chuncao, for their friendship and wished them well in their future endeavours. He also applauded the staff at the Chinese Embassy for their support of the joint labours.
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