Above: China President Xi Jinping

By the Caribbean Journal staff

China President Xi Jinping arrives in Trinidad and Tobago Friday for a three-day state visit.

Xi’s visit comes on the heels of that of United States Vice President Joe Biden, who stayed for less than 24 hours.

It will be the first time a Chinese president has visited the Caribbean and Trinidad and Tobago in particular.

On Saturday, Xi will meet with Trinidad President Anthony Carmona and then begin bilateral talks with the government.

It is expected that those talks will culminate with several Memoranda of Understanding.

“Both countries are interested in strengthen the China-Caribbean cooperation and China-Latin America and Caribbean cooperation,” Trinidad’s government said in a release. “Both leaders would seek an expansion of cooperation in international affairs, including, reform of the United Nations system; reform of the international financial and trade architecture, climate change, and global security.”

On Sunday, Xi will meet with a collection of Caribbean leaders, but only those whose countries have diplomatic relations with China, Trinidad’s government said.

Several Caribbean countries have relations with Taiwan, not China.