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Category 5 Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica on October 28th 2025, bringing extensive damage and destruction. Jamaica’s Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness has said that initial estimates place the cost of this devastating hurricane to the country at US$7 billion, 30 per cent of GDP.

It will take Jamaica some time to recover.

China has extended the hand of friendship and has pledged both money, equipment and other resources to help Jamaica in this time of crisis.

Our Today sat down with China’s Ambassador to Jamaica, H.E. Wang Jinxing for an interview where he spoke about China’s efforts to help Jamaica after damage wrought on the island by one of the deadliest hurricanes to impact the Caribbean.

1. Our Today: After the hurricane, H.E. Xi Jinping, President of China, sent a condolence message to the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen, Governor-General of Jamaica, pledging that China will provide assistance to Jamaica in due course.  Could you please give more details on that?

Amb. Wang Jinfeng: Hurricane Melissa has left a trail of casualties and extensive property losses in Jamaica. On behalf of the government and people of China, President Xi Jinping extended deep condolences to the victims and expressed sincere sympathies to the bereaved families, the injured and people in the affected areas. President Xi Jinping stressed that Jamaica is a strategic partner of China and our two peoples share a deep bond of friendship. China stands ready to provide assistance to Jamaica and support the Jamaican people in overcoming the disaster and building back their communities at an early date.

Messages of condolence were also sent by Premier Li Qiang and Foreign Minister Wang Yi respectively to Dr. The Most Hon. Andrew Holness, Prime Minister, and Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade.

As friends who treat each other with sincerity, brothers who stand together through thick and thin, and partners who cooperate for mutual progress, China will continue to assist Jamaica in the ongoing relief and reconstruction effort to the best of its ability. China is providing US$2 million in direct cash assistance to Jamaica, transporting urgently needed supplies and assembling a medical team to provide health-care services in affected areas. A Chinese navy hospital ship Ark Silk Road will also be dispatched to Jamaica to provide humanitarian medical aid and conduct outreach programs.

We will also send shipments of disaster relief supplies that are worth over US$2.1 million, including biscuits, instant noodles, portable solar lighting kits, tents, folding beds, mattresses, water storage tanks, compression garbage trucks, water trucks, prefabricated houses, diesel generators, etc.

Despite the vast distance between our countries, China wishes our Jamaican brothers and sisters well and is doing whatever is possible to help them navigate the current difficulty and build back better and stronger.

2. Our Today: Thank you, Ambassador. We do appreciate China’s generosity and kindness. There is an apparent presence of Chinese businesses and Chinese communities in Jamaica, and their relief efforts are also making the headlines. How do you see their performance？

Amb. Wang Jinfeng: Thank you for acknowledging their relief efforts and selfless spirit. Chinese businesses came to Jamaica over 20 years ago and made widely visible contributions here. Chinese people’s footprint in Jamaica has endured for more than 170 years, and they are carrying great weight in Jamaica’s socioeconomic life.

Amid rising waters, a Jamaican woman, helplessly trapped in the flood, was later rescued by two employees from China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), who carefully operated a loader, guided her into a bucket and brought her to safety. In the post-Melissa devastation, CHEC and other Chinese companies, including the North-South High Way Company, set aside their own losses, however significant, and swiftly mobilised professional equipment to remove fallen trees. By working around the clock in shifts, these Chinese workers managed to reopen the roads, facilitating the local relief effort.

The Chinese community has also stepped up, spontaneously forming a number of relief teams to help the hardest-hit areas. Some Chinese residents willingly converted their private premises into temporary relief centers, where volunteers, young and old alike, worked tirelessly to help sort and pack the relief supplies. Drivers who hadn’t held the steering wheel of a heavy truck for years had resolutely answered the call of duty, driving day and night to deliver supplies. “Chiney shop” owners also contributed by distributing goods and participating in the fundraising and other relief efforts before they could attend to their own challenges.

While natural disasters may spare no one, the compassion of humanity shines through. From every urgently-packed relief bag, to every steaming packet of fried rice or noodles, to every free solar-powered mobile phone charger, the Chinese people have shown their love and compassion to Jamaica through concrete actions. According to incomplete statistics, the Chinese community in Jamaica has raised over J$200 million worth of relief funds and supplies. When I heard members of the Chinese community repeating the phrase “One Love”, and witnessed Jamaicans crying out “Thank God fi the Chiney dem”, I was deeply moved by the profound friendship between our two peoples.

3. Our Today: Thank you, Ambassador, for sharing with us the touching stories. Let’s also move to the next step, how do you think China will remain in Jamaica’s post-disaster recovery and rehabilitation plans?

Amb. Wang Jinfeng: A friend in need is a friend indeed. As its capability permits, China stands ready to help Jamaica recover and rebuild going forward. China is exploring more “small yet smart” cooperation projects with Jamaica as a way to implement the five programs announced at the Fourth Ministerial Meeting of the China-CELAC Forum. 

These projects will cover a wide range of areas, including climate resilience, disaster preparedness, poverty reduction, green agriculture, sustainable energy and new energy automobiles. These are all crucial for mitigating the impacts of extreme weather conditions like hurricanes. China would also love to engage more Chinese businesses in the rebuilding process for the benefits of both sides, turning the challenges into brimming opportunities. 

In particular, to further strengthen our cooperation in disaster prevention and mitigation, China sincerely invites Jamaica to join the International Zero-Carbon Island Cooperation Organisation and the Belt and Road International Cooperation Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency Management.

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Our Today: Thank you, Ambassador, for accepting our exclusive interview. We deeply appreciate the assistance your country and you people are extending to Jamaica. We also commend your personal efforts to make all these happen. Our friendship will be valued forever and grow stronger. Thank you again!

Amb. Wang Jinfeng: Thank you very much. I have every confidence that the Jamaican government and people will overcome this catastrophe and rebuild their homes. I sincerely wish Jamaica a speedy recovery and hope that the country will soon restore its beauty and prosperity with enhanced resilience. Thank you.