The Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) held a banquet Wednesday in Beijing to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the resumption of diplomatic ties between China and Grenada.

Addressing the banquet, CPAFFC Vice President Li Xiaolin said that since China and Grenada resumed ties in 2005, the relationship had developed rapidly, deepening political mutual trust, and closer cooperation and high-level contacts.

China and Grenada established diplomatic relations in 1985 and severed ties in 1989 over the issue of Taiwan.

Li said the CPAFFC was ready to make more efforts to advance bilateral people-to-people contacts.

Grenadian Prime Minister Tillman Thomas paid a visit to China last year, during which Chinese leaders pledged closer ties.

Grenada hoped to carry out exchanges between business people and officials, participate in the economic forum between China and the Caribbean countries as well as the World Expo in Shanghai, so as to enhance personnel, trade and investment exchanges with China, said Grenadian Ambassador to China Marcelle Gairy at the banquet.

The banquet was attended by almost 30 representatives from China's ministries such as Foreign Ministry and Ministry of Commerce.

Uyunqimg, Vice Chairperson of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress, also attended the banquet.

Bilateral trade volume reached 2.96 million U.S. dollars from January to October 2009, up 1.2 percent compared to the same period the year before.