The Tribune

By KEILE CAMPBELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

CHINESE Ambassador to The Bahamas Yan Jiarong visited a private residence in Fox Hill over the weekend to honour a Bahamian woman who recently returned from a Chinese government-sponsored seminar.

The visit to Georgette Gardiner’s Romer Street home marked the first time a Chinese ambassador has conducted an official visit to a Bahamian household — part of what Ambassador Yan described as her deepening connection to the community.

“This is obviously a very peaceful community and with a very cozy house,” she said. “To my great surprise, you know, she invited Junkanoo here, and we had a nice time dancing together. It really, I should say, enhance my affection to this community. I do feel very much attached to this community, Fox Hill.”

Ms Gardiner, who lives with her parents Madeline and Leo Gardiner, was recently selected to attend a bilateral training seminar in China focused on e-commerce and trade. Her participation stemmed from a promise made by Ambassador Yan during a Christmas tree lighting event in Fox Hill last December.

“I made a promise at that time to Ms Gardiner that I will try to find an opportunity for her to visit China,” the ambassador said. “And I’m really glad that I honored my commitment. She discovered a real China, not the China in the Western media, and also she broadened her perspective and broadened the horizon.”

Ms Gardiner described the experience as transformational, saying it reshaped how she thinks about business and innovation.

“The experience of China was, I would say, a game changer,” she said. “I went to China with an open mind, being able to grasp new information, make new friends, come up with new ideas that I can take back to my country and share with my people.”

She now plans to incorporate lessons from the seminar into her tourism transport business by introducing digital payment options and eventually targeting the Asian tourism market.

Ambassador Yan was joined by Mr Ying, Commercial Attaché at the Chinese Embassy, who highlighted China’s expanding capacity-building efforts in The Bahamas.

“Up to now, our Chinese Embassy has sent almost nearly 1,000 Bahamian friends to China,” Mr Ying said. “Of course, this year, we are glad to say we will fully sponsor three bilateral seminar for Bahamian friends, including agriculture, tourism and business community sector.”

He added: “Capacity building is not only a training course, but also it’s a platform increasing our two people’s cooperation, friendship.”

The visit quickly turned into a celebration, with neighbours gathering as a Junkanoo group brought colour and music to the street. The Gardiner family hosted the delegation with traditional Bahamian dishes, while Ambassador Yan’s personal chef prepared Chinese cuisine for the occasion.

Children received toys and visitors were given souvenirs in a cultural exchange that community members described as heartening and unexpected.

“I don’t remember any ambassador from any country coming into the home of anyone in Fox Hill,” Ms Gardiner said. “I can’t speak about any other community. I only can speak for where I’m from.”

Ambassador Yan echoed that significance: “Indeed, China is obviously a true friend of Bahamas. And I will say this is the very first local family, Bahamian family, that Chinese ambassador have ever visited, and also Ms Gardiner is every first grassroots community member that have been taken part in China’s governmental seminars.”

As the day concluded, the ambassador reaffirmed her country’s commitment to people-centred diplomacy, saying: “We will continue to host such kind of exchanges, either in the form of workshop or training courses or other forms. It’s a friendship between Bahamian and Chinese people that is a cornerstone and foundation of our bilateral relations.”