China and portray all that is good about our Bahamas, its people, its culture and its tradition," Mitchell said, as he addressed the scholarship awards ceremony in the conference at the Immigration Department on Wednesday, August 15, 2012.

Also present were His Excellency Hu Shan, Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to The Bahamas; officials from both governments and family members of the awardees. The recipients and their areas of study are Rasheed Robinson - Bachelor's degree in Clinical Medicine and Sanay Collie, Bachelor's degree in Finance.

At the Master's degree level are Daron Beneby, International Trade; Robert McKenzie, Enterprise Management; Prince Moss, Educational Leadership and Policy; Denise Farquharson, Educational Leadership and Policy; Lynn Gibson, Public Administration in Chinese Governance; Kathryn Campbell, International Communication and Betty Vedrine, International Communication.

"This group represents the broad spectrum of talent and the ever-growing potential of our people. These persons are an inspiration, choosing as they have, to study in a country vastly different from their own and to learn another language," Mitchell said.

To date, 37 Bahamians have received full scholarships through the program sponsored by the People's Republic of China, plus the nine, bringing the total to 46. The scholarship program is in keeping with diplomatic relations established between The Bahamas and China in May 1997.

"Since then, the Government of China continues to demonstrate its friendship for the Bahamian people by its offering of scholarships to Bahamian students to pursue higher education in China at the Bachelor's and Master's levels in a range of disciplines from manufacturing and design of clothing and apparel, to medicine, astrophysics/astronomy, international business management, marketing, Chinese culture and language and architecture," Mitchell said.

Earlier recipients, having completed their studies are contributing to the growth and development of The Bahamas, he said. He advised the new recipients that staff of The Bahamas Embassy in Beijing stand ready to assist them as they join the cadre of Bahamians already in China.

"I know that you will be good ambassadors for our country. Take full advantage of this opportunity to learn all that you can; become fluent in the Chinese language; it is the language of the fast growing economy in the world. Strive for excellence in all that you do," Mitchell said.

The country looks forward to the students returning at the conclusion of their studies, to play an integral role in its further development, he said. "On behalf of the Government and the people of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, I wish to extend my sincere appreciation for the technical assistance and cooperation that the Government of the People's Republic of China has extended to The Bahamas over the past 15 years," he said.