China boosting Jamaica's labour capacity

Liu Lei, Guest Columnist

Since the establishment of the diplomatic ties between China and Jamaica, bilateral relations have enjoyed smooth and healthy development. Mutually beneficial cooperation in economy and trade, investment and infrastructure has borne remarkable fruits. In recent years, human resource development between China and Jamaica has become a highlight in our cooperation.

First, China's human-resource development and cooperation programme.

China's human-resource development and cooperation programme is under the framework of China's foreign aid, sponsored by its Ministry of Commerce. It is also an important part of Chinese government aid to foreign countries, which means that China, through multilateral or bilateral channels, runs different kinds of seminars/training programmes for government officials, managerial and technical personnel for developing countries.

The Chinese government assumes expenses for all participants of round-trip international air tickets, accommodation and traffic costs during training in China, etc.

Since 1998, around 150,000 trainees from more than 140 countries and regions have attended the seminars/training courses in China, covering a wide range of activities, including lectures, discussions, field trips, and practice. The programmes are introducing China's social and economic development, and other information relative to the themes of seminars/training courses.

The trainees were from more than 20 fields, including economy, management, diplomacy, industry, agriculture, energy, tourism, medical and health care and environmental protection, etc.

Second: China's human resource programmes for Jamaica.

In the Third China-Caribbean Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum in 2011, China declared to offer no fewer than 2,500 training opportunities for the Caribbean countries and 30 opportunities with master's degrees for Caribbean professionals to study in China. Under the initiative, China has expanded human-resource training programmes for Caribbean countries, including Jamaica, to enhance cooperation on capacity building.

Thanks to the concerted effort of both countries, about 500 persons from Jamaica have attended training programmes in China in various sectors by the end of June 2013.

In 2012, a training course on sugar technology was successfully held by the Chinese government for 20 Jamaican officials and technicians. This was the first time we ran a bilateral training programme between our two countries. In 2013, we are going to have another bilateral training programme in infrastructure.

In June 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward new measures during a luncheon meeting in Trinidad & Tobago with leaders of Caribbean countries with diplomatic ties with Beijing. China will train 100 part-time postgraduate students and provide government scholarships for 1,000 students. That means the scale and scope of training programmes will further expand for Caribbean countries.

Third, the importance of human resource development.

Talent training

The Chinese government is fully aware of the vital importance of talent training and capacity building to sustainable development in developing countries. The training programmes have got much recognition and great support from both Chinese and foreign governments.

China has gained a lot from its social and economic development process in the past 30 years - both successful experiences and miserable lessons. We are ready to share them with developing countries, so that it could be much easier for them to find short cuts in their nation-building which are suitable for local conditions and to avoid making the same mistakes.

Human-resource programmes provide a unique chance to understand the real image of China. Through communication, interaction and discussion, participants would find more opportunities and wider approaches for bilateral economic and specialised cooperation.

Cooperation in the area has boosted capacity building for Jamaicans and substantially enhanced friendship between the Chinese people and Jamaicans.

Today, my country is committed to realising the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, while the Government and the people of Jamaica are working hard towards achieving the Vision 2030 development blueprint - the Jamaican Dream.

Human resource development is the key to make our dreams come true. Let's work together to realise our dreams of national prosperity and well-off societies and deliver more development dividends to both our peoples.

Liu Lei is commercial counsellor of the Chinese Embassy. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and jm@mofcom.gov.cn.