THE State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, Wang Yi is expected to arrive here on Friday for bilateral talks with the Government of Guyana.
During his two-day visit, the Chinese Foreign Minister is scheduled to meet with President David Granger, and Vice President and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge, to exchange views on bilateral cooperation and to discuss areas of mutual interest. “Guyana and China have maintained a vibrant programme of mutually beneficial cooperation through frequent and diverse activities, including successful exchange visits at the highest level over the past four and a half decades,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on Monday.

Wang Yi was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs in 2013. Since joining the Chinese Foreign Service after completing his studies at the Beijing Second Foreign Language Institute in 1982, he has held a number of posts, including as vice minister of foreign affairs and ambassador to Japan.

The visit comes close to two months after Guyana and China signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) within the Framework of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Initiative. The pact paves the way for cooperation between the two countries in five critical areas, namely: policy coordination; facilities connectivity; trade and investment; financial integration; and people-to-people interaction.

When Guyana signed on to the Silk Road Initiative, Minister Greenidge had indicated that major emphasis would be placed on infrastructural development during the initial phases of the implementation of the agreement. It is likely that possible projects under the initiative would come up for discussion in the meetings which will be held later this week.
Guyana and China established diplomatic relations in 1972.