Wang Yi attends the inauguration of the Chinese Embassy in the Dominican Republic

On September 21, 2018 local time, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who was visiting the Dominican Republic, and Foreign Minister Miguel Vargas Maldonado of the Dominican Republic jointly unveiled the Chinese Embassy in the Dominican Republic. President of the Chamber of Deputies Radhamés Camacho, former presidents Leonel Antonio Fernondez Reyna and Rafael Hipólito Mejía Domínguez, and dignitaries from all walks of life of the Dominican Republic attended the event.

Wang Yi said in his speech that after the joint efforts of both sides, the dream of establishing diplomatic relations between China and the Dominican Republic has finally come true. This is a historic and also an exciting moment, and the relationship between China and the Dominican Republic has opened a new page and embraced a broad and bright prospect for development.

Wang Yi said that although China and the Dominican Republic are far apart, there is a Chinese saying that "good friends feel close to each other even when they are thousands of miles away.” Early in the 1950s and 1960s, shortly after the establishment of the People's Republic of China, two countries had been understanding and supporting each other. In the historical process of the Dominican Republic's maintenance of national sovereignty and dignity, the Chinese people's choice is to stand with the people of the Dominican Republic. In the 1990s, China and the Dominican Republic set up Offices of Commercial Development, and bilateral exchanges and cooperation became increasingly close in various fields. After more than two decades of exchanges, the Dominican Republic has become China's largest trading partner in the Caribbean area.

Wang Yi noted that for only 4 months after China and the Dominican Republic established diplomatic relations, both countries have made good preparations for their cooperation, showing unprecedented enthusiasm and achieving important and positive progress. It fully shows that the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the Dominican Republic is the aspiration of the two peoples and accords with the favourable trend, and that the relations between both countries can be accelerated. The two countries should step up their work, try to make timetables annually and task lists monthly, and take actions to lay a solid foundation for the long-term development of the relations between both countries, and to prove with fruitful achievements that Dominican Republic’s choice is a right decision in the long-term interests of the Dominican Republic and its people.

In addition, Foreign Minister Miguel Vargas Maldonado said in his speech that the establishment of diplomatic relations between both countries has opened a new chapter in the history of the relations between China and the Dominican Republic. We have joined more than 170 countries that recognize and abide by United Nations (UN) General Assembly’s Resolution 2758 and acknowledge the one-China principle. China is a sincere and reliable friend of the Dominican Republic, and both countries respect and listen to each other. The Dominican Republic side appreciates China's tremendous achievements in economic and social development, especially appreciated that China has always been standing with the developing countries and making positive contributions to unity and offering help to developing countries. During its tenure as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, the Dominican Republic is willing to strengthen coordination and cooperation with the Chinese side to jointly safeguard world peace and stability.