On the occasion of 2017 Lunar New Year, on behalf of the Chinese Embassy in Guyana, I’d like to extend my sincere greetings and best wishes to Chinese nationals and overseas Chinese living in Guyana and to the people of Guyana. The year 2017 is the year of Rooster. In our tradition, the rooster symbolizes intelligence, courage, kindness and integrity. I wish you a happy Lunar New Year, happy family life, booming business and all the best in the year of the Rooster!The year 2016 has been a significant year for the continuous development of China-Guyana relationship with frequent high-level visits, a productive year for the cooperation in economy, trade, health and many other areas and also a fruitful year for the educational and cultural exchanges between China and Guyana. These fully testify that deepening mutual understanding and promoting China-Guyana friendship have become our common wishes.

Just weeks ago, H.E. president David Granger designated January 12th as Chinese Arrival Day, recognizing significant contributions Chinese have made to the growth and development of Guyana. I wish to express my appreciation for this designation which acknowledges the long-lasting friendship between our two peoples.

As we look forward, China and Guyana will commemorate the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relationship in 2017, and it will be a milestone in the bilateral relationship between our two countries. 45 years may be a brief moment in human history, but they mark a significant development of our relations. Over the past 45 years, the two countries have been achieving new accomplishments continuously with concerted efforts. This could not have been possible without the support and hard work from our two governments and peoples. We will take this opportunity to organize a series of activities to celebrate this significant moment, in the hope of further enhancing our bilateral relations.

In the coming new year, in the spirit of mutual respect and common development, China will continuously strengthen the different levels of visits with Guyana, actively develop economic and commercial cooperation, consistently promote cultural and people-to-people exchanges, work hard to explore cooperation in new frontiers. The Chinese Embassy in Guyana will make efforts to push forward the bilateral exchange and cooperation between the two countries. It is my firm belief that with the joint efforts of the two governments and peoples, the China-Guyana relations will have a brighter future.