SANTO DOMINGO, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Dominican Republic President Danilo Medina's first state visit to China is set to enhance mutual understanding, deepen friendship and promote bilateral cooperation, Chinese ambassador to the Caribbean country Zhang Run told Xinhua on Monday.
Zhang made the remarks following Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lu Kang's announcement on Monday that Medina will pay a state visit to China at the invitation of President Xi Jinping and attend the first China International Import Expo (CIIE), which runs from Nov. 5 to 10 in Shanghai.
China and the Dominican Republic signed a joint communique in Beijing on May 1 on the establishment of diplomatic relations.
There have been vigorous exchanges between governments, legislative bodies, political parties, enterprises, think tanks and media. Both sides have also opened embassies in and sent ambassadors to each other, said Zhang.
The Dominican government has also set up a special office to coordinate the affairs related to exchanges and cooperation with China, Zhang said.
China and the Dominican Republic are naturally complementary partners. China boasts a large consumer market and various competitive products of high quality. The Dominican Republic provides a favorable business environment for foreign investment, thanks to its political and social stability as well as open and inclusive economic policies, Zhang added.
Many Chinese companies have now either launched factories or set up offices in the Caribbean country related to power development, communication, mining and light industry, the ambassador said.
Speaking of the upcoming CIIE, the ambassador listed several specialty products the Caribbean country will present to the Chinese market. One item is blue amber, which is unique to the Dominican Republic and popular among Chinese consumers. Quite a few Chinese e-commerce platforms have started to sell it, according to Zhang.
In addition, tobacco, rum, pineapple, banana, cacao and other products from the Dominican Republic are of high quality and ready to take their share of the Chinese market, he said.
Zhang also touted the Dominican Republic as a promising destination for Chinese tourists.
Its capital, Santo Domingo, known as the first city of the "New World," is widely favored for its blue skies, beautiful beaches and low traveling costs, drawing over 6.2 million international tourists in 2017, according to official statistics.
The Chinese ambassador, who arrived in the Dominican Republic on Aug. 19, said he felt there was wide consensus among all parties and all walks of life here to support the establishment of diplomatic relations with China and deepen their friendly cooperation.
He said the development of bilateral ties is in the fundamental interests of the two peoples, conducive to the prosperity and stability of Latin America and the Caribbean and opens up a new space for mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation in the region.
"The relationship between China and the Dominican Republic is comprehensive," Zhang said. "So long as it is handled properly with respective strengths of both sides fully tapped, there will be bright prospects in the relationship."