Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, Senator the Honourable Dr. Amery Browne, on 25th January, 2025, delivered the feature address at the 2025 Spring Festival Temple Fair, which was organised by the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China and the local Chinese community to celebrate the Chinese New Year and the start of the Year of the Snake. The Fair, enjoying a third successful year, has become a vibrant showcase of Chinese culture, featuring art, cuisine, and sports, and continues to attract participants from across Trinidad and Tobago.
In his remarks, Minister Browne highlighted the significance of the Year of the Snake, which symbolizes wisdom, transformation, and personal growth, and expressed hope for the prosperity it brings in 2025. He also commended the event’s role in deepening cultural ties and fostering mutual understanding between Trinidad and Tobago and China.
The Minister underscored the progress in bilateral relations, referencing key milestones achieved in 2024 during the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations. Major accomplishments include:
• The commissioning of the Phoenix Park Industrial Estate, a flagship Belt and Road Initiative project.
• Progress in the construction of the A.N.R. Robinson International Airport in Tobago, set to be opened in mid-2025.
• Progress toward the development of the Forensic Sciences and Pathology Facility, supported by the Chinese Government.
Minister Browne also highlighted new cultural collaborations, such as the introduction of Chinese television programming through TTT Limited, further strengthening people-to-people connections.
Quoting a Chinese proverb, “Be not afraid of growing slowly; be afraid only of standing still,” the Minister called for continued progress and collaboration between the two nations.
