The Guyana Embassy in Beijing hosted a 40th Republic Anniversary Reception and Guyanese Fashion Show on February 23, 2010 in Beijing, China. The event was attended by His Excellency, Mr. Li Jinzhang, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, His Excellency, Mr. Zhao Zhenyu, Special Envoy for Caribbean Affairs in the Chinese Foreign Ministry, as well as other High Level Chinese Government Officials, representatives from the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Chinese Companies, the Diplomatic Corps in Beijing and the Chinese media.

During the reception, Guyanese national songs were played, videos of tourism in Guyana were shown and the audience was treated to a spectacular display of Guyanese fashion. All of the pieces displayed were created by big name Guyanese designers such as Mrs. Donna Ramsammy-James, Ms. Sonia Noel, Ms. Michelle Cole and other Guyanese designers. The guests were also treated to local Guyanese cuisine, prepared with authentic Guyanese ingredients and spices from Guyana.

Ms. Choo An Yin, Chargé d Affaires, of the Guyana Embassy in Beijing, in her remarks at the grand event, stated that although “40 is not a big number, for Guyana, it represents a milestone in efforts to provide a better tomorrow for its people. Like many small nations, Guyana faces many of the similar challenges in today’s globalized world. More importantly, our struggles have always been to have our voice heard in the international arena, whether be it at the United Nations, the World Trade Organization or just on issues related to global warming and climate change, issues which affect us the most. We have learnt that there is no level playing field and one size does not fit all, because of our different sizes, needs and levels of development. We are often faced with the decision of either being a passive participator in the globalization process verses our own internal developmental challenges.”

She added that “as a young nation, reaching the 40th milestone has not been an easy task and we know that the road ahead will not be a smooth; one but with our national motto: “ONE PEOPLE, ONE NATION, ONE DESTINY”, we will have the courage and confidence to face tomorrow and to work tirelessly together to build a better future for our people.”

She also indicated that compared to China, Guyana is a small country, both in terms of size and population, and the two countries do have their differences, but have found common ground and areas of mutual interest to work together in.  More importantly, China has been a very good ally to Guyana over the years and she is quite confident that the friendly relations between the two nations will grow from strength to strength and expand in the future.
Guyana’s 40th Republic Anniversary is also being celebrated at a time when Spring Festival, the Chinese Lunar New Year, is being celebrated all over China and by Chinese all over the world.