Media blanked from Chinese ship signing

Yesterday, just before the signing ceremony set for 10 am at the Ministry of Caricom and Foreign Affairs at the International Financial Centre, Portof- Spain, the ministry issued a statement on the ceremony stating the invitation had been “rescinded”.

Later, the ministry issued a statement about the friendship between TT and China but giving absolutely no details as to the ship’s specifications, purpose, delivery date or cost, or the terms of the loan agreement. In the statement, minister Dennis Moses offered China condolences on the loss of life and destruction caused by an earthquake the night before in Sichuan Province.

He said the loan agreement joins 60 previous agreements between the two nations over the years, including major construction projects such as national sporting facilities, the Couva hospital and training facility and the National Academy for the Performing Arts in north and south Trinidad.

“In the area of security, our activities have included the outfitting of the National Operations Centre of Trinidad and Tobago, the provision of military aid, and training and development. Further, in an effort to assist in advancing initiatives between our military establishments, Trinidad and Tobago included the position of Military Attaché at our Embassy in Beijing.

“These accomplishments notwithstanding, the acquisition of the multi purpose patrol vessel for use by the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard, the first transaction of its kind between our countries, created a new chapter in our security cooperation.” On July 7, 2015, Newsday reported the signing ceremony for the acquisition of this vessel, with signatories being the ministry’s permanent secretary Carl Francis and China Shipbuilding Trading Company director Zhang Jinming.