Chinese Vice President Zeng Qinghong Sunday afternoon flew into Port of Spain from Venezuela for an official visit to Trinidad and Tobago.

Zeng was accorded with a warm welcoming ceremony at the airport by Prime Minister Patrick Manning, who plays host to him.

In a written statement issued upon arrival, Zeng said that his visit is aimed at enhancing mutual understanding, promoting traditional friendship and deepening mutually beneficial cooperation on all fronts between the two countries.

During the visit, he will meet President Maxwell Richards and Manning for a thorough exchange of views on bilateral ties and other issues of shared interest.

"I believe that this visit will be productive and contribute to the furtherance of the friendly ties and cooperation between the two countries," Zeng said.

Although both countries are geographically far apart, he said, exchanges between the two peoples dated back to nearly two centuries ago.
 
Over the past three decades since the two forged diplomatic ties, bilateral exchanges and cooperation in political, economic and other areas have witnessed constant development, Zeng added.
 
Trinidad and Tobago is the fourth leg of his five-nation tour in Latin America and Caribbean which has taken him to Mexico, Peru and Venezuela and will finally take him to Jamaica.

Zeng is also scheduled to attend the opening ceremony of the first Ministerial-level Meeting of the China-Caribbean Economy and Trade Cooperation Forum 2005 on Feb. 2 in Jamaica.

(Xinhua News Agency January 31, 2005)