Chinese Vice President Zeng Qinghong flew into Kingston Tuesday from Trinidad and Tobago for an official visit as guest of the Jamaican government.

He is also expected to attend the first Ministerial Meeting of the China-Caribbean Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum 2005 on Feb. 2, with a view to promoting the economic cooperation and trade between China and the Caribbean countries.

Zeng was greeted at the airport by Jamaican Foreign Minister Keith Desmond Knight.

He said in a written statement upon his arrival that his visit is to strengthen mutual trust, expand consensus, deepen cooperation and seek common development.

He said he will have an in-depth exchange of views with Prime Minister Percival Noel James Patterson on strengthening bilateral relations and on international issues of common interest.

"I am convinced that this visit will further deepen the friendship between the Chinese and Jamaican people and promote the friendly relations and cooperation between China and the Caribbean region as a whole in the new century," Zeng said.

Since China and Jamaica forged diplomatic ties 32 years ago, hes aid, the mutual understanding has been continuously enhanced and mutually beneficial cooperation steadily expanded, as evidenced by bilateral good cooperative ties in various fields.

Facts proved that it serves the long-term and fundamental interests of both peoples to strengthen China-Jamaica relations, he said, adding the Chinese government and people value their traditional friendship with Jamaica.

Jamaica is the last leg of his five-nation visit in Latin America and Caribbean that has already taken him to Mexico, Peru, Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago.

(Xinhua News Agency February 2, 2005)