China, Dominican Republic formal ties celebrated by Caribbean nation

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On May 1, China and the Dominican Republic announced the establishment of formal diplomatic ties. The arrangement ushers in a new era of opportunities for these two nations.

No one knows for sure how many Chinese-Dominicans live in the Dominican Republic, though some estimates say there are close to 50,000.

Early this month, there was cause to celebrate, as the Dominican Republic broke ties with Taiwan and officially established diplomatic relations with the Chinese mainland. Members of the Chinese community in the Caribbean nation applauded the move. They just wish it would have happened sooner.

State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Dominican counterpart Miguel Vargas Maldonado attended the signing ceremony in Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, May 1, 2018. /CGTN Photo

Robert Ng is a motel owner who was brought to the Dominican Republic when he was only a child.

"I am so proud, especially for us: We the Chinese,” he said.

He also looks forward to the economic benefits these new developments can bring to the Dominican Republic. “China is investing a lot of money in many countries, in transportation, in manufacturing. I think they will come here and do the same, invest in our infrastructure and roads,” Ng said.

The community’s enclave is in Santo Domingo, the nation’s capital. Clara Joa is one of the leaders of the Dominican Chinatown, and a former vice minister of education in the Caribbean nation.

View of Chinatown in Santo Domingo /CGTN Photo

She also shares the enthusiasm, and wishes her father would have been alive to see this moment. “I’m happy, we actually saw this process coming. It was not done before, because diplomatic relations take time,” she expressed.

The majority of their ancestors came from the city of Enping, in the southwestern part of the Guandong Province, starting early in the 1900s. By 1932, the nations were friendly. Even before the relationship was official, trade between the two was strong. Currently, common investments add up to more than 2 billion US dollars.

Miguel Feng, the Liaison Official between the Chinese community and the Dominican government, told CGTN that they feel more secure.

“We have more legal guarantees and our investments are protected,” he said.

More Chinese investments are in the works. Dominican President Danilo Medina will soon travel to China to announce mutual agreements and his vision of how this relationship may unfold.

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