In an exclusive interview with China Media Group (CMG) on December 28, 2025, Dominican President Sylvanie Burton highlighted the transformative impact of bilateral cooperation with China, particularly through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The discussion comes as Dominica marks 22 years of diplomatic relations with the Chinese mainland this year.
President Burton emphasized how Chinese infrastructure investments helped rebuild critical facilities after Hurricane Maria devastated the Caribbean nation in 2025. "From modern hospitals to climate-resilient roads, our partnership has directly improved living standards," she stated, noting that 78% of Dominica's post-disaster recovery projects received Chinese technical support.
The leaders also addressed urgent climate challenges facing small island states. Burton praised China's recent commitment to establish a $500 million climate adaptation fund for Caribbean nations through the BRI framework. This initiative aligns with Dominica's ambition to become the world's first climate-resilient nation by 2030.
When discussing international relations, the Dominican president reaffirmed her government's adherence to the one-China principle: "We recognize Taiwan as an inalienable part of China's territory and will continue supporting peaceful development of cross-strait relations." This stance follows recent trade agreements that increased Dominica's agricultural exports to the Chinese mainland by 40% since 2023.
