Shenzhen is a dynamic and rapidly growing city on the south coast of China in the vicinity of Hong Kong.   Its impressive  development since becoming one of China's most successful experiment with the establishment of the Special Economic Zones has earned worldwide acclaim.

As such, it represents area in China where foreign funded banks may engage in RMB (acronym for Chinese currency Renminbi) business.    Trans-national companies from Europe and American have gone to Shenzhen one after the other to hold trade talks in the course of which a new vitality has been injected in Shenzhen's special economic Zone.

The visiting Shenzhen Cable Television Crew is currently filming for a show in China called "Around the World".  The visit to Antigua and the interview of Prime Minister Lester Bird affords Antigua and Barbuda a degree of exposure throughout China and elsewhere in Asia which could be a stimulus to the development of  interests from people in that part of  the world, choosing Antigua and Barbuda eventually as a holiday destination. It has the potential also of stimulating interest on the part of Asian businessmen in favourably considering this country for investment programmes which they desire to establish in the western hemisphere.

It was therefore from this farsighted promotional perspective that the Shenzhen Cable TV (SCTV) was encouraged by our Beijing based Minister Counsellor and Chief Asian Investment Officer, Mr. David Hsiu, to undertake the visit to Antigua and Barbuda.

They were evidently very gratified from what they saw, judging from the enthusiasm with which they engaged in the  filming  of the promotional scenes of Antigua and Barbuda.

In his interview, Prime Minister Bird explained to SCTV, that Tourism was of great important to Antigua and Barbuda's economy and that it was the largest foreign exchange earner of the country.  He also outlined aspects of the policy which would in future govern our tourism development and promotional initiatives..

In this connection, the Prime Minister explained that given our relatively small size, Antigua and Barbuda should not pursue a mass market and that the policy which  the Government was pursuing places or will seek the place emphasis on the upper segment of the market where numbers were evidently fewer  but spending power of the tourist is greater.  The Prime Minister explained that Antigua and Barbuda's economy has experienced a healthy average growth of approaching five percent over the past several years, even allowing for the fact  that we have been affected by frequent hurricanes.  He emphasised our need for sustainable development, pointing out that large labour intensive development appears not the most suitable for our development objectives and threat we therefore had to opt for areas of development for which we can be competitive.  To this end, Antigua and Barbuda was looking for light industries like pharmaceuticals with China.

The nature of regional markets, their scope and the potentiality as reflected by Cariforum and the ACS were explained by the Prime Minister who also pointed out that fairly  reasonable concessions were available to investors desirous of entering these market areas.

Dispelling the erroneous impression that the new hospital project was a feature of the economic cooperation agreement between the Government of the PRC and the Government of Antigua and Barbuda, the Prime Minister clarified the position and explained that the Government of Antigua and Barbuda was funding the project itself.   China was  therefore earning needed and valuable foreign currency as a consequence his government's retention of the Chinese construction firm COMPLANT, to undertake the project.  Prime Minister Bird also explained in this respect that the contract for the construction of the proposed new Antigua Power Plant had been won by COMPLANT but the high court has ruled that the bidding process would have to be resumed and COMPLANT therefore will have to bid again.

In closing his interview with Shenzhen Cable TV, Prime Minister Lester Bird spoke briefly about Antigua and Barbuda's high per capita income and the effect it had in excluding the Government from access to international concessionary loan windows since we are thereby classified as a middle income country.  He drew attention, however, to the fact that we are ranked among the most valuable countries in the world, second only to one of the islands in the South Pacific.

Prime Minister Bird concluded by making the point that Antigua and Barbuda has always backed the one China policy of the People's Republic of China.   This gave clear conformation of the close diplomatic relationship between Antigua and Barbuda and People's Republic of China.

When the Prime Minister's interview was concluded the Shenzhen Cable Television Crew conducted a televised interview with the Chairman of the Antigua Free Trade and Processing Zone, Senator the Honourable Joseph Fernandez, who gave a very persuasive exposition of the beneficial features of the Free Trade Zone from the Standpoint of  businessmen from China who wanted to penetrate regional markets from in the Caribbean and Americas.

According to the Prime Minister's Press Attache, Mr. Norman "Gus" Thomas, the book is expected to be published next year, and will contain several local, regional and international speeches.

"Prime Minister Bird is known the world over, for his outstanding and thought-provoking speeches. It was just last summer at the United Nations Millennium Summit in New York, where he captured the world's attention, with what is now kown internationally as the, 'Surprise Me Speech'. His address to the United Nations, when Antigua and Barbuda joined that August body was another brillant presentation, as well as several he has given here in the Caribbean, being a leading regional politician. "

GIS News understands that, a special working group will be studying several speeches before the final selections will be made for publication.

Mr. Thomas told the GIS News that several request have been forthcoming from Colleges, Schools among other academic institutions and historical societies around the world, seeking printed copies of several of the Prime Minister's speeches, and this was a major factor that led to the decision to have the publication.

St. John's, Antigua: (PMO Press) - Action taken by the Opposition, United Progressive Party (UPP) last year, has greatly hampered the construction of the multi-million dollar Asian Village Project.

Mr. Kay Hock in his letter, said he was surprised at the enormous amount of negative publicity which was placed in the international financial arena by the opposition's action. This said he, caused some of the most reputable financiers to have doubts about investing in the continued development of Antigua and Barbuda.

The Prime Minister noted however, that Mr. Kay Hock pointed out that it was his intention to work as hard as possible to make the Asian Village Project a reality, adding that, if he is unable to do so, he would inform the Prime Minister and his Government, of his inability so to do.

St. John's, Antigua: (GIS) - Work on the new Office of the Prime Minister on the Queen Elizabeth Highway is moving ahead as planned according to Public Works Director, Mr. B.T. Lewis.

The new office is expected to be completed in the new year and occupancy will be immediate.

Meanwhile, Chief of Staff, Senator Asot Michael, notes that a new work ethic will have to be developed as preparations for occupancy of the news office begins.

"Workers will have to be a lot more disciplined, polite and courteous in their dealing with the public. New security measures will also be in place, and a number of things that are taken for granted will be non-existant then," Mr. Michael added.