Minister Straughn & Chinese Ambassador Discuss Areas Of Cooperation

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital expansion project and the redevelopment of the National Stadium were among the key topics discussed during a courtesy call between Minister in the Ministry of Finance, Ryan Straughn, and China’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Barbados, Zheng Bingkai.

During the meeting, held yesterday at Government Headquarters, Mr. Straughn underscored the important contribution of the Chinese medical teams, noting that they have made a significant difference in the delivery of health care to Barbadians.  

“Therefore, this expansion project is particularly important to deliver better service to the population.  So, we are moving as swiftly as we can, in relation to that, to ensure that we can see the connection between the improvement in the quality of services that they’re providing. Of course, health, for the most part, is an individual choice, but how I decide to live will determine my own experience with the institution…,” he said.

Turning to the National Stadium redevelopment, Minister Straughn informed Ambassador Zheng that construction was progressing, and he expressed optimism that the upgraded facility would encourage more Barbadians to be physically active and involved in athletics through the hosting of major events.

“Our seniors are getting more involved in athletics as well, and therefore, having a stadium for them to show their skills, this could be a good long-term investment for having a healthier population,” Mr. Straughn stressed.

Ambassador Zheng congratulated Barbados on its declining debt-to-GDP ratio, noting that this was commendable given the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and the threat to the country’s economy from geopolitical tensions. He also expressed satisfaction with the latest FITCH ratings, which affirmed Barbados’ B+ credit ratings  

“Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the geopolitical tensions, the economic performance of some countries went in the opposite direction, but the ratings agencies just put the outlook for Barbados from stable to positive.  It means in the near future you are going to have another significant upgrade. That means that you are closer to your investment grade, and that is tremendous…; that is a significant achievement,” Ambassador Zheng underlined.

The two officials also discussed ways to strengthen their long-standing bilateral relationship, the Scotland District Road Rehabilitation Project, pursuing additional investment opportunities, and strategies for attracting more Chinese tourists to the island. (PR/GIS)