Nassau, The Bahamas –Fostering “Guanxi” between the Bahamas Government and The People’s Republic of China has proven that the gift of brotherhood is stronger than pride. The two nations went into a partnership to build a National Stadium in The Bahamas, in exchange for the recognition of both country’s contribution to international trade.
“We just basically went in through the grand entrance and on to the field and took a look at the track and so on and visited the seating area,” said Charles Maynard, Minister of Youth, Sports, and Culture.
“The whole idea was for the visiting official to get a good feeling for what the project has been all about and how far they are in terms of this progress. He is head of their commerce section, so his concern of course would be that the monies that are invested are being put to proper use.”
On June 11, Charles Maynard, Minister of Youth Sports and Culture, accompanied by Wang Lequan, the Member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of The People’s Republic of China and Deputy Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Committee of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the People’s Republic of China, made an official site visit to view the construction progress at the National Stadium at the Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre on Thompson Boulevard. They met with Bahamian Track and Field Legend, Thomas A. Robinson, whose name the stadium bears.
Minister Maynard explained how the Communist system of Government in China differs from the Democratic system of Government in The Bahamas and how those structural conditions determine the weight of power one holds within the Chinese Government. It is the opposite to operating a multi-lateral political structure in The Bahamas, which requires being appointed to a position, after an agreement between both the governing party and opposition leader.
“In China, there are two arms of government. The party side and the functionary side, and so, in some cases, the party side has just as much power or more than some of the functionaries. In his case, he would be from the party side, but he would be a part of the government,” said Mr. Maynard.
“In our system of government, for example, we have a two or three party system, and so although the prime minister is the leader of the FNM, that doesn’t have more weight than him in his capacity as prime minister. In their case, they have a one party state and so when you become a high-ranking member of the party, automatically in some cases, that makes you more high-ranking in their government structure. When they move, it’s not a political function that they are doing. They are doing it on behalf of their government and the political side of their government.”
Minister Maynard explained that the foundation of respect shared between The Bahamas and China is evidence of the deeply ingrained cultural importance China places on fostering harmony. Cordial relationships with foreign negotiators are based on personal relationships, trust, and ritual for the smooth functioning of society. This is called “Guanxi”.
China has fostered many global business and trade relationships with many countries around the world in a similar fashion as with The Bahamas.
By Gena Gibbs
BAHAMAS INFORMATION SERVICES
