MR. DINGXIAN HU, AMBASSADOR, OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

OFFICIALS FROM THE EMBASSY OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

MEMBERS OF THE PRE-SELECTION COMMITTEE

STAFF OF THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS, FAMILY AND FRIENDS

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN

GOOD MORNING,

IT IS MY PLEAURE TO JOIN YOU THIS MORNING IN RECOGNIZING THE FIVE YOUNG BAHAMIANS THAT HAVE BEEN AWARDED FULL SCHOLARSHIPS BY THE GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA. THESE YOUNG BAHAMIANS WILL BE PURSUING TERTIARY EDUCATION IN CHINA.

THE TWO YOUNG MEN AND THREE YOUNG WOMEN ARE AN INSPIRATION, CHOSING TO STUDY IN A COUNTRY VASTLY DIFFERENT TO THEIR OWN, AND SPEAKING A LANGUAGE WHICH THEY MUST LEARN.

THE BAHAMAS AND THE PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF CHINA ESTABLISHED DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS IN MAY OF 1997. SINCE THAT TIME, BAHAMIAN STUDENTS HAVE PURSUED HIGHER EDUCATION AT THE BACHELORS AND MASTERS LEVELS IN A RANGE OF DISCIPLINES, FROM MANUFACTURING AND DESIGN OF CLOTHING AND APPAREL; TO MEDICINE, ASTROPHYSICS/ASTRONOMY, INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT AND MARKETING.

THESE YOUNG BAHAMIANS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO SO ON SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA, THROUGH THE CHINA SCHOLARSHIP COUNCIL.

THE FIVE SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED TODAY WILL BRING TO NINETEEN (19) THE NUMBER OF BAHAMIANS WHO WOULD HAVE BENEFITTED FROM THE CHINESE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME. THE FIRST FOUR SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS HAVE COMPLETED THEIR PROGRAMMES, AND ARE CONTRIBUTING TO THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE BAHAMAS. I WISH TO RECOGNIZE THE FIRST CHINESE SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT MS. DENISE FRANCIS WHO IS WITH US THIS MORNING.

TODAY’S SCHOLARSHIP AWARD ARE MADE TO MS. KESHANDI THOMPSON, IN THE FIELD OF MEDICINE, MS. NAJAH PLAKARIS, IN THE FIELD OF LANGUAGES, MR. BLAINE BUTLER, IN THE FIELD OF ARCHITECTURE, MR. KENSON TINKER IN THE FIELD OF ASIAN STUDIES AND DIPLOMACY AND MS. CRYSTAL HANNA IN THE FIELD OF ARCHITECTURE.

YOU WILL BE GOING TO CHINA AT A TIME WHEN THE WORLD IS CONVERGING ON THAT COUNTRY FOR THE 2008 OLYMPICS. AMBASSADOR, IT IS OUR UNDERSTANDNG THAT IT WILL BE A GRAND OCCASION. REST ASSURED THE ATHLETES OF THE BAHAMAS WILL BE THERE!

OUR NEWLY APPOINTED AMBASSADOR TO THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA, HER EXCELLENCY MS. ELMA CAMPBELL IS NOW IN OFFICE AS THE BAHAMAS’ FIRST RESIDENT AMBASSADOR TO CHINA. SHE HAS ASKED ME TO ASSURE YOU THAT THE DOORS OF THE EMBASSY ARE OPEN TO, AND FOR YOU. THE AMBASSADOR WILL, AT THE SAME TIME BE LOOKING TO YOU TO PORTRAY IN CHINA ALL THAT IS GOOD ABOUT OUR BAHAMAS, ITS PEOPLE, ITS CULTURE AND ITS TRADITIONS.

I URGE YOU, AS WELL, TO BE GOOD AMBASSADORS FOR OUR BAHAMAS. TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF THIS OPPORTUNITY AND TO LEARN ALL THAT YOU CAN, BECOME FLUENT IN THE CHINESE LANGUAGE. IT IS THE LANGUAGE OF THE FASTEST GROWING ECONOMIES IN THE WORLD. STRIVE FOR EXCELLENCE IN ALL YOU DO.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO WELCOMING YOU BACK TO THE BAHAMAS AT THE CONCLUSION OF YOUR STUDIES. WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT YOU WILL BE WELL PREPARED TO PLAY YOUR NECESSARY ROLE IN THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF OUR COUNTRY.

I WISH TO EXPRESS, ON BEHALF OF THE GOVERNMENT AND PEOPLE OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE BAHAMAS, MY SINCERE APPRECIATION FOR THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND COOPERATION THAT THE GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA HAS EXTENDED TO THE BAHAMAS OVER THE PAST 11 YEARS.

WE ARE PARTICULARLY APPRECIATIVE FOR THIS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME WHICH ALLOWS BAHAMIANS TO PURSUE HIGHER EDUCATION AND PREPARES THEM FOR MAKING THEIR NECESSARY CONTRIBUTION TO NATION BUILDING.

I CONGRATULATE YOU, SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS AND YOUR PARENTS ON THIS EXEMPLARY ACCOMPLISHMENT. I WISH YOU EVERY SUCCESS IN YOUR STUDIES .