The Fish and Dragon Festival Enhances the Relationship Between Barbados and China

Zaoshang hao (Good morning).

The Bank is pleased to partner with the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Barbados, the Confucius Institute at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, and the Barbados Chinese Association to host the 5th Fish and Dragon Festival.

This festival marks the Chinese New Year and enhances the ever strengthening relationship between Barbados and China.

The Bank has co-hosted the festival from its beginning. And we are pleased that our sponsorship is allowing Barbados to join 399 other international cities to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

It's a partnership that the Bank and the Embassy have jointly nurtured, and we are pleased with the returns so far.

The attendance and participation in the Festival have grown, interest in Chinese culture ignited, enrolment in mandarin classes solidified, and the 40-year plus diplomatic relationship between Barbados and China strengthened.

My opening salutation in Chinese is the result of having attended Mandarin classes put on by the Confucius Institute, and testimony to the good work that the Institute is doing in helping us to understand many things Chinese.

We, the sponsors of Fish and Dragon, can truly and meaningfully gift each other a piece of wood in recognition of our fifth anniversary in celebrating together the Chinese New Year with a Fish and Dragon Festival.

Wood is the symbol of durability traditionally used to celebrate a fifth anniversary.

The Fish and Dragon festival is a fusion of cultures, peoples, ideas, hopes, dreams and relationships as its name symbolizes.

Fish and Dragon 2019 offers the usual fare of the best of China and Barbados in terms of food, entertainment and cultural experiences.... It is a true sampling of Bim and China.

The Bank thanks the Embassy and the festival organizers for sharing a slice of China annually with us and for broadening our vista, views and awareness of the world's second largest economy.

The sheer dynamism of the acrobats, martial artists, dancers and musicians have electrified and mesmerised us.

Their performances convey the magnitude of the talent and skill of the Chinese people, and the richness of their culture.

The artistry, skill and technique of the Tianjin Performing Arts Troupe left me spellbound last year.

We look forward to similar thrills in three weeks when the Charming Beijing Tianjin Heibei Art Troupe performs here.

We encourage everyone to join us for this extravaganza. It will be a memorable family affair.

See you at the Garfield Sobers Gymnasium on January 23.

Xièxie. I thank you.