Shandong Province visits Trinidad and Tobago

Shandong Province visits Trinidad and Tobago

During the period April 21 – 23, 2023, InvesTT was pleased to host an official delegation from the Jinan Municipal Government, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China. The group, primarily comprised of 10 senior government officials, viewed Trinidad and Tobago as solid ground for trade and investment and specifically identified the tenanting of e TecK’s Phoenix Park Industrial Estate as high on their agenda for collaboration between the two countries.

InvesTT’s Vice President of Investor Services, Stacy Adams notes “This is the 2nd Chinese delegation to visit in the month of April, the first being from the Zhejiang Province. The visits were made possible through weekly virtual collaboration with our Trinidad and Tobago Embassy in Beijing and the marketing arm of the Beijing Construction Engineering Group as we aim to fulfill our mandate to tenant the Estate with at least 10 Chinese companies. We currently have 4 committed tenants from China.” 

Ms. Chen Baiwei shows Senator Gopee-Scoon where Shandong Province is located on the map of China.

Head of the delegation, Ms. Chen Baiwei, Deputy Director-General, Foreign Affairs Office of the Shandong Provincial People’s Government, met with Senator the Honourable Paula Gopee-Scoon, InvesTT and exporTT on Friday 21st April and outlined the group’s interest in promoting e TecK’s Phoenix Park Industrial Estate to encourage Chinese companies to establish their operations there. The Estate is the first Caribbean project to be undertaken under the parameters of the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative via a Memorandum of Understanding which was signed by both countries in 2018.

From left to right: Ms. Ayleen Alleyne-Ovid, Permanent Secretary, MTI; Ms. Chen Baiwei- Deputy Director-General, Foreign Affairs Office of the Shandong Provincial People’s Government; Senator the Hon. Paula Gopee-Scoon - Minister of Trade and Industry; Ms. Franka Costelloe - Chairman, InvesTT; Mr. Dhanraj Harrypersad - General Manager Client Relations, exporTT; Mr. Randall Karim - Deputy Permanent Secretary, MTI and Ms. Tang Tingting - Deputy Director of the American and Oceanian Affairs Division, Foreign Affairs Office of the Shandong Provincial People's Government.

Senator Gopee-Scoon shared this Government’s plans for diversification with a heavy focus on manufacturing and maritime industries and also invited Chinese cooperation in agri-investment, food production, ‘smart’ agriculture and a seed variety programme.

Ms. Baiwei indicated her openness for collaboration, describing Shandong Province as the ‘basket of China’ due to the fact that most of the country’s agricultural output originates there.

Other key topics of mutual interest were:

  • China-Caribbean Development Center – to provide Chinese companies with information on Caribbean trade and investment destinations
  • Invitation to visit the Ocean Decade Cooperation Center as the Shandong Provincial Government recently unveiled their development plans and business models for modern marine industries.
  • Development of cultural connection programs between China and Trinidad and Tobago.
  • Invitation for Trinidad and Tobago youths to the Global Youth Conference in July 2023.
Ms. Chen Baiwei (4th from left), Mr. Steve De Las - President, e TecK (5th from left), Ms. Stacy Adams - Vice President, InvesTT (far left)

InvesTT and e TecK hosted the Shandong Province delegation to a tour of Phoenix Park on Saturday 22nd April. The group was excited to see that the Estate is 95% completed and with one of their own nationals, Summit Luggage, first in the process of setting up their manufacturing equipment in one of the completed factory shells.

Shandong is one of China’s top manufacturing provinces and also has a focus on investment cooperation in overseas projects in housing, education, construction and power generation.

Members of the delegation included senior representatives from:

  • Foreign Affairs Office of the Jinan Municipal People’s Government
  • Shandong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism
  • Department of Commerce of Shandong Province
  • Shandong Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs
  • Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the Jinan Municipal People’s Government
  • Cooperation and Exchange Bureau of Administration of Jinan Area of China Pilot Free Trade Zone
  • University of Jinan
  • Shandong Hi-Speed Group Co. Ltc
  • Shandong International Economic and Technical Cooperation Group Ltd.