Guyana and China celebrate 53 years of diplomatic ties

– as they renew their commitment to peace, development

The Chinese Embassy in Guyana hosted a commemorative reception on Thursday at the Guyana Marriott Hotel in Kingston to mark the 53rd anniversary of diplomatic relations with Guyana.

While delivering the feature address, President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali underscored the deep-rooted and evolving partnership between the two countries. He reaffirmed Guyana’s unwavering support for a global order based on democracy, peace, sovereignty, freedom, and respect for territorial integrity.

“Discussions were held with Ambassador Yang which included safeguarding of our sovereignty and territorial integrity and the role China must play in ensuring this region remains peaceful and our neighbour in a just manner, follow what we all believe that is international order and the rule of law and the respect of our sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the head of state stated.

Guyana, for its part, continues to maintain its longstanding support for the One China policy and China’s sovereignty.

“China has stood with us, partnered with us, and lent support in critical national priorities,” President Ali noted.

The event also officially introduced China’s new Ambassador to Guyana, Her Excellency Yang Yang, who echoed President Ali’s sentiments and pledged China’s continued support for Guyana’s sovereignty and development agenda.

She noted that Guyana was the first English-speaking Caribbean nation to establish diplomatic relations with China in 1972.

According to the ambassador, the partnership has expanded significantly across key sectors such as agriculture, education, infrastructure, health, and trade.

“We are also willing to work with Guyana to tap deeper into cooperation potential, and to expand our collaboration from traditional areas such as energy, mining, infrastructure, and agriculture to emerging fields like the digital economy, green development, and artificial intelligence,” Ambassador Yang said.

In 2024 alone, China’s investment in Guyana totalled US$10.6 billion, while bilateral trade between the two countries reached US$1.4 billion—four times higher than in 2019. The ambassador described Guyana as a vital partner in the Caribbean and Latin America.

“We regard Guyana as a key partner in the Caribbean and Latin America, and firmly support Guyana in pursuing your own development path. And we are committed to taking our relations to a new level on the basis of mutual respect,” she affirmed.

Among the key infrastructure projects supported by China are the New Demerara River Bridge, six new regional hospitals, the expansion of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, and the China-assisted Guyana-China Friendship Joe Vieira Park.

The leaders of both nations emphasised the value of multilateralism, the rule of international law, and mutual respect in addressing shared global challenges.

Ambassador Yang also committed to encouraging more Chinese businesses to invest in Guyana as the country continues on its transformative development trajectory.