MEMBERS of staff of the University of Guyana (UG) were enlightened on the history of China’s development and its future plans to strengthen relations with Guyana and other countries at the 7thVice-Chancellor’s Renaissance Lecture series, yesterday.
Invited to present at the university’s Education Lecture Theatre was Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Guyana, Cui Jianchun, whose topic for the evening was: ‘A new era for China and China-Guyana Relations’.
Director of Multilateral and Global Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Troy Torrington, in introducing the Chinese Ambassador established China as a fascinating country with a long history and a vast contribution to the world.
He said that China’s recent One Belt and Road Initiative (OBRI) is an exemplification of its meaningful engagement with other countries and reminded those present that Guyana is the first English-speaking Caribbean country to recognise and establish relations with China.
In the featured address, Ambassador Cui said that he was thankful to Vice-Chancellor Griffith for the invitation to share his knowledge about China with the university and lauded the Renaissance Lecture Series initiative as a practicable one.
“I do believe that this is [a] very, very good programme…I do believe this would be helpful to the students here and faculty to develop this university,” he commented.
The focus of his lecture was on the fact that China is about to enter a new era of national and international undertakings, which will see the country increasing its involvement with the international community.
The One Belt and Road Initiative is a main undertaking which will see China pushing for the connectivity of policy and numerous trade and investment opportunities with countries in continents such as Asia, Africa, Europe and in the Caribbean.
According to Cui: “Every nation, every society is interconnected and interdependent because of new technology. No nation has survived without help, without other nations’ cooperation.”
He pointed out that many visit China and leave with the idea that the entire country is fully developed, when the country experiences “unbalanced development” in some rural areas and by working along with other countries it can move forward.
A total of 33 million people in China still live below the poverty line which is a reality the country hopes to eradicate by the year 2020. Calling this an extremely difficult mission, Cui said, “The President has instructed all the governors… that we have to finish this job.”
This is one of the reasons China continues to encourage its citizens to work in other countries such as Guyana, to earn a living the same way. The Ambassador said Guyanese are invited to visit China to learn about international imports and exports and other areas in which the country specialises.
Cui told the gathering that when he got information that he would be working in Guyana, he thought of how he could strengthen cooperation between the two countries, as not all Chinese know about Guyana.
After conducting his own research, he presented the ‘5 IT initiative’ or ‘Jianchun Initiative’ through which both countries can benefit by means of trade and investment, building mutual trust and fostering mutual development.
These 5 ITs are: Infrastructure, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Investment, Industry, Integration as well as Thought exchange, Talent, Technology, Trade and Tourism.
Plans to improve tourists’ access to Kaieteur Falls through infrastructure; internet and communication improvements and training in technology to further develop the country are all possibilities that can occur with the initiative on a larger scale.
“We think it is a new era for China and Guyana and we should work hard,” he said. “I’m ready to work with the Guyanese business people, the government, also the university to try to… put this vision into action.”
During the question-and-answer segment, he put forward the proposal that scholarships could be provided to the top students of the University of Guyana to visit and study in China as a form of exchange of information and culture.
After the session, Professor Ivelaw Griffith presented the Ambassador with a token of appreciation for the knowledge he had imparted to those present.
