Chinese, Guyanese foreign ministers meet in Beijing

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, met with Hugh Todd, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Guyana in Beijing on Monday. 

Noting that Guyana was the first English-speaking Caribbean country to establish diplomatic relations with China, Wang said that over the more than five decades since then, the bilateral relationship has deepened significantly, with Guyana now China's largest trading partner in the Caribbean region, he said.

China supports Guyana in independently exploring its development path and is ready to work together to implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state, Wang said.

He expressed China's willingness to enhance cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative in areas such as energy, mining, agriculture, fisheries, manufacturing, and infrastructure, as well as emerging sectors like the digital and green economies. 

China will also promote collaboration in healthcare, education, and cultural exchanges while encouraging more Chinese enterprises to invest in Guyana to support its industrial transformation and sustainable development, Wang said.

Wang also said that China's development is not built on colonialism or geopolitical maneuvering, adding that in the face of rising unilateralism and protectionism, China stands firmly with developing countries, especially small and medium-sized nations. 

"As China grows stronger, it will contribute more to safeguarding the legitimate interests of the Global South and to building a more peaceful, just, and harmonious world," said Wang.

Noting this was his third consecutive visit to China as Guyana's foreign minister, Todd underscored the deepening Guyana-China friendship. 

He praised the role of Chinese enterprises in Guyana's rapid development and welcomed further Chinese investment. 

The two sides also exchanged views on leveraging the China-CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) Forum to advance the building of a China–Latin America community with a shared future.