PRESIDENT David Granger has hailed the special relationship between China and Guyana at a New Year dinner hosted by the Chinese Association of Guyana at the New Thriving new branch located at Providence, East Bank Demerara, Sunday night. He said that Chinese are still arriving in Guyana today, not as labourers, but as investors, visitors, workers, as entrepreneurs. The audience included Chinese Ambassador to Guyana, H.E. Cui Jianchun; Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, Former President, Donald Ramotar and United States Ambassador to Guyana, Perry Holloway. The President also made mention of his decision to sign an executive order to declare January 12 as National Chinese Arrival Day, noting that this move was to commemorate the contributions of the Chinese community in the enrichment of the country’s culture and general development. “Chinese enterprises have fostered and have been fostered by over four decades of friendly diplomatic relations, mutual cooperation and our resourceful commercial collections. Guyana welcomes the Chinese who want to contribute to transforming the culture and economic landscape of this country,” he added.
President Granger said too in a message that the Government and the People of Guyana extend greetings to the Government and people of the People’s Republic of China and the Chinese community here on this auspicious occasion of the celebration of the Chinese New Year, the year of the Fire Rooster.
“We are sure that the occasion is observed not only in the People’s Republic of China, but among the millions of persons of Chinese origin all around the world. Our two republics – the People’s Republic of China and the Cooperative Republic of Guyana – are 15,000 km apart. Despite this distance and the demographic and geographical disparities, we have been united by bonds of blood, history and friendship. We must celebrate that history, strengthen those bonds and deepen that friendship to the mutual benefit of our peoples,” President Granger said.

He added that Chinese arrived in Guyana 163 years ago as indentured labourers and they were welcomed then. “Many of them came as labourers, but they quickly graduated into other professions. Guyana and China have shared strong ties of friendship. Guyana became a Republic in 1970 and within two years we had established diplomatic ties with the People’s Republic of China – the first English- speaking country in the Caribbean to do so,” the Guyanese leader said.
He added; “We were the ones to support, in the General Assembly of the United Nations, the call for the recognition of the People’s Republic of China when it had been shut out of the councils of the international communities by other big powerhouses. Since then, we signed a number of cooperation agreements in the field of infrastructure, health, defence, river transportation, energy, culture, education and information technology. We’re no longer casual acquaintances; we are partners in economic development.”
According to President Granger, the healthy relations and partnership that developed between the Cooperative Republic of Guyana and the People’s Republic of China has facilitated the deepening of the economic partnership between our two countries. China’s economic performance remains a source of inspiration to the people of Guyana.
“It is my honour, therefore, on behalf of the government and people of Guyana, to once again extend best wishes for a productive New Year to the government and people of the People’s Republic of China on the occasion of the Chinese New Year – the Year of the Fire Rooster. The Cooperative Republic of Guyana celebrates 45 years of diplomatic ties with the People’s Republic of China this year and in so doing, looks forward to deepening the relations between the two countries. It looks forward to creating lasting economic partnerships, building on the solid relationship of the past 45 years. We anticipate that through our financial engagements and through cooperation agreements signed between Guyana and China and other regional organisations, that development, trade, investment and cooperation can be further intensified. Guyana is happy to join in the celebration of the Year of the Fire Rooster,” the President said.