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Barbados Discusses Green Transportation & Trade With China

Barbados and China have discussed strengthening China-Barbados relations through transportation and trade.

This discussion took place on Wednesday between Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Kerrie Symmonds, and Chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), Ren Hongbin, in the margins of the United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Global Supply Chain Forum, on at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre.

Minister Symmonds pointed out that Barbados aims to transition its transportation sector to renewable energy to reduce carbon emissions and achieve sustainable development as part of Barbados’ efforts to become fossil-fuel free by 2030.

He noted that to date, Barbados had received 59 electric buses manufactured in China, which were procured under the Ministry of Energy and Business’ Sustainable Energy Investment Programme (Smart Fund II). He said 50 more were being ordered.

Mr. Symmonds also pointed out that due to disruptions in the global supply chain, Barbados had been hampered in achieving its fossil-fuel free ambition due to a lack of access to renewable energy vehicles.

“The European vehicles, in many cases, you can’t get the alternative to the one that is the internal combustion engine, because it is not even available or not yet available in our market. And then in the agricultural sector, there are many which are still at the prototype stage, or they are now thinking about it.

“And when you get into your machinery for the fields and the heavy-duty lorries, tractors and big cranes for the construction sector and so on, … through the traditional supply chain we find ourselves lagging further and further behind because our traditional sources of supply are behind,” he stressed.

With regards to trade, the Minister shared Barbados’ goal of becoming an air, sea, and logistics hub for the southern Caribbean.

Mr. Hongbin stated that CCPIT is the largest and longest trade and investment promotion agency in China with 30 representative offices in 30 countries, and shared that it would be expanding its presence in countries.

“Our duty and responsibility for CCPIT is to promote bilateral relations, economic and trade ties with foreign countries. So, I feel that there is a huge potential here for businesses to be deepened and to be expanded between China and the Caribbean region. Of course, we can consider Barbados as a hub,” Chairman Hongbin indicated.

Other areas discussed during the bilateral meeting included China’s International Supply Chain Expo scheduled for November 26 to 30, 2024; the One-China Principle; developing green maritime transportation between Caribbean islands as part of the Belt and Road Initiative; and the potential for collaboration in areas such as renewable energy and pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Also present at the bilateral meeting were the Ministry’s Director General, Donna Forde; Director, Foreign Trade Division, Kay Sealy; Senior Foreign Service Officer, Trecia King; Foreign Service Officer, Asha Pitt; China’s Ambassador to Barbados, Yan Xiusheng and members of the CCPIT delegation.

Barbados and China established diplomatic relations on May 30, 1977. (PR/GIS)

Caption: From left to right – China’s Ambassador to Barbados, Yan Xiusheng; Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Kerrie Symmonds; and Chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), Ren Hongbin, pose for a photograph following their meeting yesterday

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SPECIAL POLLING DAY NOTICE

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FundAccess To Host Legal Clinic Workshop from May 13th

Entrepreneurs will soon get another opportunity to learn about critical legal matters that are key to the operation of their businesses.

FundAccess will be hosting The Legal Clinic Workshop, which will commence on Tuesday, May 13, and continue each Tuesday, until May 27, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

The workshop will be facilitated by Attorney-at-law Ondene Kirton and participants will discuss Understanding Business Legal Structures; Contracts & Agreements; Employment Law & Compliance; and Examination of the Various Laws Relating to Small Business.

During those sessions, the participants will be exposed to sole proprietorship, partnerships, corporations – pro and cons; how to choose the right legal structure for a business; the importance of contracts in business operations; avoiding common contract pitfalls; and employee rights & employer responsibilities, among others. Some of the pieces of legislation to be examined include the Employment Rights Act and National Insurance and Social Security Act.

Interested persons may attend the workshop in person at FundAccess’ Pinfold Street, Bridgetown location, or online via the Zoom Platform. To register, click on the following link: https://bit.ly/3Fu09Jv.

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Centenarian Built On Firm Foundation Set By Grandmother

“Trust God first” is the mantra of one of Barbados’ newest centenarians, Athelstan Browne, who celebrated his 100th birthday on April 29, 2025, at his home in Montrose, Christ Church, surrounded by family and friends.

One of his specially invited guests was President of Barbados, Her Excellency, The Most Honourable Dame Sandra Mason.

Mr. Browne shared that he grew up “not knowing a mummy” as his mother passed away at age 23, when he was two years old, and his brother was only one year old.

Crediting his grandmother for his upbringing, Mr. Brown remarked: “I had a real good, good grandmother that raised two of us, and everything we learn before we went to school, she taught us.”

Pointing to a humble yet deeply religious upbringing, Mr. Browne said: “I and my brother slept on the floor. Our grandmother spread things down there, and she just put the pillow under our head.”

He recalled that they had to sing the hymn “Under the Blood” before going to bed, and first thing in the morning before they had breakfast, which usually consisted of “a cup of tea and two biscuits”. Adding that the hymn was “our song”, Mr. Browne sang the hymn from memory.

Stressing that his grandmother was a great provider, he noted: “My grandmother had land, and she would work the land…. We would eat raw potato, raw okras, (green) peas, cucumbers…. The only thing we did not eat was raw yams and eddoes.”

Mr. Browne continues to enjoy his ground provisions “with a little rice”, as he likes his rice with green peas, and if available, chicken boiled with the rice. “I am a fish man,” he remarked, eating it either fried or with a “stew sauce”.

Continuing to nurture his Christian beliefs, he joined the Mount Ararat United Holy Church (currently in Dayrell’s Road, Christ Church) in 1967, at age 33, and has continued there ever since.

Once the Superintendent of the Sunday School at the church, Mr. Browne is still instrumental in providing leadership to the youth there. “I have a crowd of young people at church that love me…especially when I have to talk to them…. It is what they should hear and what they should have,” he said.

The centenarian was raised in Montrose, Christ Church, and attended the Christ Church Boys’ School (now Milton Lynch Primary School). After leaving school, Mr. Browne initially took to agriculture but then worked cutting soft stone in two quarries in Christ Church.

In 1947, at the age of 22, he decided to join the US Farm Labour Programme and took the first Pan American Airlines flight out of Barbados. Over 10 years later, Mr. Browne returned to Barbados and married Monica Browne (deceased). Together, they built the house where he currently resides.

Returning to his roots in agriculture, the centenarian worked at the Ridge Plantation, Christ Church, until retirement. He also planted and reaped ground produce at home, as well as planted and cut canes.

Mr. Browne, who is generally in good health and has a sharp memory, still works around the home and enjoys reading, which he does without glasses. He also keeps in touch with his family in New York and North Carolina, and will do some travelling, but he is always ready to return home.

After toasting the centenarian, Her Excellency remarked: “You are in the midst of a lot of love, and I am sure you are going to enjoy the rest of your birthday. I am really happy to have met you. I am grateful for the work that you still continue to do with our young people because a lot of them lack direction, and we, nowadays, don’t take enough time to sit down and speak with them…. We don’t remind them that they are important, that they are somebody.”

Mr. Browne responded: “You got to make them understand what … the Lord expects of them… We have to acknowledge the Lord.”

Mr. Browne has two children, 10 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren. (PR/GIS)

Caption: President of Barbados, Her Excellency, The Most Honourable Dame Sandra Mason, and Barbados’ newest centenarian Athelstan Browne take a walk outside during his birthday celebrations in Montrose, Christ Church