Post on 31-Dec-2015
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Address by his Excellency Mr. Ivar Asjes
Prime Minister of Curaçao
on the occasion of the official opening of the first Consulate General
of the People’s Republic of China in Curaçao
and
the celebration of the Chinese Spring Festival
Willemstad, 15 January 2014
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good evening.
Tonight we are gathered here on a very special occasion.
In addition to celebrating the opening of the first official representation of
the People’s Republic of China in Curaçao, tonight we are also celebrating
the Chinese Spring Festival, also known as the Chinese New Year. This is an
important and traditional Chinese holiday dating back more than 4000
years. It is a time to celebrate with family and friends and to wish for
prosperity, abundance and richness.
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I am honored to have the opportunity to experience and celebrate such an
important occasion with the Chinese community of Curaçao and other
guests and I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a healthy,
peaceful and inspiring 2014.
It is with great pleasure that I officially, on behalf of the government and
people of Curaçao, welcome the first Consul General of the People’s
Republic of China to Curaçao, Mrs. Chen Qiman. I also would like to
welcome Consul Zhang, Consul Xue and the rest of the staff of the Chinese
Consulate General to our island.
As the People’s Republic of China is a major player on the global scene and
one of the world’s largest economies both in terms of manufacturing and
trade we are delighted that its government has seen the merit of having an
official presence in our country. The Chinese government’s decision to
formalize its relationship with Curaçao is therefore further proof of the vast
opportunities present here.
As you all know in its Coalition agreement of 12 December 2012, entitled
“Akuerdo pa un Gobernashon enfoká riba pas, trankilidat i prosperidat’,
this government has committed itself to work towards the realization of
close and lasting bilateral ties with friendly nations. In that sense also the
establishment of the Chinese Consulate General in Curaçao can be viewed
as the fulfillment of one of the policy objectives of my Government.
Ladies and gentlemen,
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The first Chinese nationals came to our island some 100 years ago among
other things as cooks on board of oil tankers of the Curaçao Petroleum
Industrie Maatschappij, the subsidiary of Shell International, that started
the refinery in Curaçao.
They were actually on their way to Venezuela but liked our island and
decided to stay. They opened the first laundries in Curaçao and later
diversified their economic activities by opening restaurants and a hotel
thereby becoming one of the first entrepreneurs in the hospitality sector on
our island. Today Chinese entrepreneurs dominate the retail food sector
and as owners of small and medium-sized enterprises contribute to the
economic development of Curaçao.
The bilateral cooperation between China and Curaçao offers a host of
possibilities. Tourism, trade, logistics, education and culture and the energy
sector are some of the areas in which our two countries can work together
and create mutually beneficial outcomes.
Ladies and gentlemen,
We have just entered into a new year. Again we as a collectivity have the
opportunity to continue to build a solid future for our country. The task
may seem daunting but with a positive attitude and a grateful spirit we will
be able to build a society in which equal opportunity for growth and
development will be open to all.
In closing in I wish each and everyone of you “Gōngx fācáiǐ ”, which is
Mandarin for “Happiness and prosperity”. “Xiexie”, I thank you.
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