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Ten years ago, in the sunny Caribbean island of Jamaica, Nicoleen Johnson had to decide between two attractive post-graduate scholarships: a one-year master's program in England or four years at Fudan University in Shanghai.

 

Unable to decide, she sought out a higher authority. "I am a Christian and I prayed about it and I started believing God wanted me to go to China," Johnson, 33, said.

 

"So many (Jamaican) people have degrees from England and I thought 'how many people have a degree from China?'"

 

At the end of her Master's, Johnson earned a distinction as "most outstanding" international student in the graduate program at Fudan and was recommended by a faculty member for a scholarship that led to a doctorate in international relations.

 

Today, she's an independent trade consultant based in Shanghai helping companies in Jamaica and other Caribbean nations make connections with companies in Guangzhou and other parts of China.

 

Her experience and insights into China will play an integral role as the first president of the newly formed Caribbean Association in China, which was launched in Shanghai in April. It has about 30 members from various islands of the Caribbean, including some based in Japan and Hong Kong.

 

She estimates that about 100 Caribbean expats live in China.

 

While Jamaica -- a small dot on the globe compared to China -- is not a big source of expats to China, there's a long history of relations between the two nations that include trade cooperation and economic aid.

 

There's a large ethnic Chinese population in Jamaica, a country known mainly for reggae music, beautiful beaches and Blue Mountain coffee.

 

The association is to serve mainly as a support network for members who plan to work closely with Caribbean embassies to boost the profile of the region in China.

 

They also plan to donate funds to a charity and so far, they've raised over 6,000 yuan ($785) from a fundraising dinner in April that featured Caribbean cuisine and a speech by Jamaica's ambassador to China Wayne McCook.

 

While it isn't a top priority, another goal is to help teach Chinese about the distinct people and cultures of the Caribbean. 

 

For Johnson, even after a decade in China, she still gets jaw-dropping stares from Chinese not used to seeing foreigners. But unlike Americans, British or African expats, she has to go a littler further to explain where she came from.

 

Saying she's from the home of Bob Marley, reggae music or attractive sandy beaches, usually don't cut it. She's learned to laugh about it.

 

"When you tell them where you're from, they ask you where in Africa that is. The usual responses are 'oh Jamaica, it's in Africa right?'" Johnson said. "If you mention Cuba, they will know immediately."

 

The group hopes the presence of noted Caribbean athletes in next year's Beijing Olympics would boost the profile of the region within China and consequently help the association do its job better. "They do like excellence," she said of the Chinese. "And when we excel, they will remember that."

 

(China Daily June 8, 2007)