A promotion session of the International Horticultural Exhibition 2019 Beijing (Beijing Expo 2019) for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) was held in the Astana Expo 2017 on August 15. Representatives from 11 CARICOM member states, including Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Suriname, attended the event.
Wang Jinzhen, a member of the Organizing Committee of the Beijing Expo 2019 and Vice President of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), who attended as a representative of the Chinese Government, provided a brief introduction about the Beijing Expo during the session. According to Mr. Wang, more than 80 countries around the world have expressed their positive intention to participate, and over 30 countries and various international organizations have already made written confirmations. Some countries, such as the Netherlands and India, have even inspected the Expo site and made their decision on the location. As a great platform for countries in the world to show their horticultural industry, featured culture, tourism resources, products and technology, the Beijing Expo 2019 will definitely help promote not only the Sino-CARICOM cooperation in horticultural industry and trade, but also cultural understanding and personal exchange. In order to facilitate the participation of CARICOM member states, China will provide help and support in various aspects, such as exhibition zone design, volunteer service, and so on.
After enjoying the promotional video of the Beijing Expo 2019, the attending representatives spoke highly of the organization and preparation of this great event. Lira, a government representative of the Caribbean Community Plaza in the Astana Expo 2017, praised the gorgeous and creative design of the exhibition, and expressed her confidence in Beijing to hold a splendid horticultural gala. At the same time, she also extended her sincere appreciation for this promotion session, and voiced her wishes to assist developing countries in their participation. Furthermore, representatives have made queries on a number of issues such as visa, exhibition zone design, supporting services, and so on, with promises to proactively encourage their home countries to confirm their participation as soon as possible, and expectations to meeting again during the Beijing Expo 2019.
