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Last Updated: Feb 13, 2017 - 1:45:37 AM |
ITM Hubei China Bahamas – Creating Historical Linkages: From L to R: Mr. Kevin Seymour, President, The Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce; Ms. Zhou Caijuan, Chairwoman, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, Hubei Sub-Council; His Excellency Yuan Guisen, Chinese Ambassador to The Bahamas, People's Republic of China; Mr. Xiao Xuming, Vice Chairman, Hubei Provincial Political Consultative Conference; The Hon. Michael Halkitis, Minister of State for Finance, The Commonwealth of The Bahamas; Senator The Hon. Julian Russell; and Ginger M. Moxey, President and CEO, Immerse Bahamas Co.Ltd.
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Freeport, BAHAMAS – Impressed with the caliber of businesses and entrepreneurs in The Bahamas, Zhou Caijuan, chairwoman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, Hubei Sub-Council, is singing the praises of organizers hot on the heels of an investment and trade mission in Grand Bahama.
Weeks in the making, the historic event, the first of its kind, was held at the Grand Lucayan Resort and co-sponsored and organized by Immerse Bahamas.
“I would like to thank especially Immerse Bahamas, who was the co-organizer of this investment and trade mission. Immerse Bahamas is a very professional organization and we had very good cooperation this time,” Chairwoman Caijuan said.
A Warm Welcome: The Ministry for Grand Bahama welcomes the Hubei Delegation to Grand Bahama Island with a welcome reception. From L to R: Mr. Xiao Xuming, Vice Chairman, Hubei Provincial Political Consultative Conference; His Excellency Yuan Guisen, Chinese Ambassador to The Bahamas, People's Republic of China; The Hon. Michael Halkitis, Acting Minister for Grand Bahama and Minister of State for Finance, The Commonwealth of The Bahamas; and Melvin Seymour, Permanent Secretary, Ministry for Grand Bahama.
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The Chinese delegation comprised of over 70 representatives from Hubei Province, were treated to an authentic Bahamian welcome ceremony at the start of the event before they engaged in private one-one-on sessions with local businesses and entrepreneurs in Grand Bahama in search of potential investment and trade opportunities.
As part of the objectives, the event was to create a platform that will afford Bahamian enterprises an opportunity to have their products traded on a global market.
“We had very fruitful talks with the local partners. Some of them have already found partners in the Bahamas,” revealed Chairwoman Caijuan, who also explained that there will be follow-up with those who had not been paired with a Hubei enterprise at the trade mission.
Presenting Authentic Bahamian Gifts: Junior Achievement Grand Bahama students present authentically Bahamian-made gifts to each of the 72 Hubei delegates. The gifts were hand-painted conch-shells, depicting various Bahamian scenery and images, with well wishes hand-crafted in Mandarin. Each conch-shell featured a different design and was painted by local Bahamian artist, Harcourt Moxey of Holmes Rock, Grand Bahama Island. The gifts were well received by the delegates.
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The China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT)also signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce at the event, signifying an ongoing economic, trade and technical cooperation between The Bahamas and the province of Hubei.
“This MOU will be a new start for the economic and trade cooperation between Hubei, China and The Bahamas,” Chairwoman Caijuan said while expressing optimism about the future relationship with Immerse Bahamas in efforts to enhance the economic and trade relations between The Bahamas and Hubei, China.
Immerse Bahamas is a full service destination, project, and investor services management companythat specializes in creating signature Bahamian initiatives that have an impact on the community.
Immerse Bahamas President and CEO Ginger Moxey was pleased with the outcome of the first ever investment and trade mission, in partnership with the Bahamas government, the Hubei Provincial People's government, the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce (GBCC), The Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA), and all of the businesses and entrepreneurs who came on board.
A Few of Our Bahamian Interpreters: The Bahamas is well positioned to take advantage of increased Chinese business investment and trade from a communication stand-point, with its Bahamian interpreters. From L to R: Joelle Miller, Interpreter; Madam Ai, Interpreter from the Bahamas Embassy (Beijing); Ginger M. Moxey, President and CEO, Immerse Bahamas Co. Ltd.; Shorrell Dames, Interpreter; Blaine Wilson, Interpreter. Young Bahamian Interpreters provide critical communication skills, and eliminate the language barrier for the Investment and Trade Mission.
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“The Investment and Trade Mission; Hubei China to The Bahamas was a tremendous success, and the results will be evident in the months to come,” Moxey said.
“From the business match-making sessions with local businesses ranging from small, medium size, large and entrepreneurs; to the participation of Junior Achievement (the youth business program within The Bahamas), as session monitors; to the inclusion of Bahamian mandarin-speaking students as interpreters, we can say that ITM Hubei China was indeed a success.
Moxey is particularly encouraged with the signing of the cooperative agreement between The Bahamas and Hubei, China and the positive feedback of CCPIT about partnerships that have already been formed, ongoing relationships, and a continued focus on partnerships in The Bahamas.
Grand Bahama Port Authority Senior Business Development Manager Derek Newbold also dubbed the event “an overwhelming success.”
“Immerse Bahamas did a fantastic job – simply remarkable. I think everyone on the island sees this as a great opportunity to expand and attract some additional partnerships,” said Newbold.
“I think the effect and impact it will have on Freeport is, one, exposure; we’re being exposed now to a whole other area in China when it comes to investment. I think also, too, it’s exposing local entrepreneurs here to some of what they have to offer and I see an opportunity for cross-border training.”
Overall, the GBPA executive said he is hopeful that the investment and trade mission will be a mutually beneficial exercise for both the Chinese delegation as well as the local entrepreneurs in Grand Bahama.
Event participant, Bishop Kermit Saunders said while he thoroughly enjoyed the experience and is grateful for the opportunity to witness such an event, he was most impressed with the level of competence of the young Bahamian interpreters speaking Mandarin.
“I am extremely ecstatic. I think that is something that is good for the future of Grand Bahama and I think it needs to happen again,” he said. “I want to say how proud I am of Ms. Ginger Moxey and the Immerse Bahamas team. I think they’ve done an exceptional job in preparing such an awesome variety of entrepreneurs.”
Program Director for Junior Achievement Grand Bahama shared, “This was an opportunity whereby many of our Achievers from the various high schools got to see and meet various companies out of China to really see what true entrepreneurship is all about at an international level, so we were able to take part with the company Immerse, and it’s amazing. Dames further stated, “What was exciting is that we were able to see some of our past Achievers interpreting, so that made us really proud.”
For Immerse Bahamas, the next steps involve ensuring that, over the next several weeks, Hubei business partners are found for those Bahamian businesses and entrepreneurs that did not identify what they were looking for at the Investment and Trade Mission. In the words of Ginger Moxey, ‘This is just the beginning of a mutually-beneficial relationship between Hubei China and The Bahamas. Now there is an outlet to source products, without the usual hurdles and language barriers, as well as the amazing opportunity for Bahamian products to enter the Chinese market.”
© Copyright 2015 by thebahamasweekly.com
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