Foreign Ministry announced in Beijing Tuesday that the government of the People's Republic of China and the government of the Commonwealth of Dominica established diplomatic relations at ambassadorial level as of March 23, 2004.

At the invitation of the Chinese government, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit of the Commonwealth of Dominica paid a working visit to China recently. Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing and Skerrit, on behalf of each government, signed a joint communique on the establishment of diplomatic ties in Beijing on March 23.

Premier Wen Jiabao, in meeting with Skerrit, expressed heartfelt congratulations on the normalization of bilateral relations between the two countries.

Wen said the government and people of the Commonwealth of Dominica are friends of China and the establishment of diplomatic relations turns over a new leaf in bilateral relations.

He said China firmly believes that the relations between the two countries will have a long, stable and healthy development and will benefit the two peoples as long as the two sides strictly abide by the commitments endorsed in the joint communique, promote exchange, mutual understanding and trust, and expand cooperation in political affairs, trade, economy, culture and education.

Noting that the Chinese government sticks to the independent foreign policy of peace, Wen said that the consolidation and promotion of China's relations with developing countries is the cornerstone of the policy.

He said China is willing to develop friendly cooperative relations with developing countries, including those in the Caribbean sea region, on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence and willing to make contributions to world peace and human progress.

Skerrit said China plays an important role on the world stage and the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries is in line with the fundamental interests of the two peoples.

He said the government of the Commonwealth of Dominica recognizes that the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China and that Taiwan is an inseparable part of China's territory.

Skerrit said the Commonwealth of Dominica will firmly abide by the one-China policy and actively develop friendly cooperative relations with China.
 
(Xinhua News Agency March 30, 2004)