A reception was held in Beijing on Wednesday to celebrate the 10th anniversary of China-Bahamas relations.

The two countries forged diplomatic ties on May 23,1997. Trade volume between the two sides reached 160 million U.S. dollars in 2006.

Addressing the occasion, Li Jianping, vice president of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), said the China-Bahamas relations have developed smoothly in the past ten years.

Bahamas became a designated destination for Chinese tourist groups in 2005. The two nations have conducted new cooperation in the tourist sector ever since, said Li.

Philip Miller, Charge d'Affaires of the Embassy of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas in Beijing, said Bahamas and China have deepened cooperation in various fields. He said he hopes the two nations take the occasion of the 10th anniversary as "a new beginning" for the bilateral relations.

Source: Xinhua