Above: Shenzhen, China

By the Caribbean Journal staff

The government of the British Virgin Islands has signed a pair of memoranda of understanding with delegations from  Shenzhen, China.

The MoUs were signed with the city of Shenzhen and the authority of the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone of Shenzhen.

The agreements, which followed a visit by officials from both areas in China, covered areas such as tourism, economy, culture and sports.

“This is a historic occasion, in that while we have had visits from Chinese delegations in the past, this is the first time that we are having such a significant delegation to forge a closer relationship,” British Virgin Islands Premier Dr Orlando Smith said.

The British Virgin Islands has been working to deepen its ties with Asia in recent months, following the establishment of BVI House Asia in Hong Kong.

“In the Asia Pacific Region, the BVI has for many years been the jurisdiction of choice for economic development,” Smith said. “BVI plays a major role in the global economy, and it is therefore paramount that we aggressively move to strengthen and expand into existing markets as well as explore and develop our physical presence in the Asia Pacific Rim.”