Trade between Guyana, China tops US$710M
China’s Ambassador to Guyana, Guo Haiyan speaking during the exhibition on Monday (Carl Croker photo)
China’s Ambassador to Guyana, Guo Haiyan speaking during the exhibition on Monday (Carl Croker photo)

By Tamica Garnett

TRADE between Guyana and China has grown by 213 per cent over the past five years, reaching US$710 million in 2021, China’s Ambassador to Guyana, Guo Haiyan said on Monday.

Ambassador Guo was at the time speaking at the launch of an Online photo exhibition at the Chinese Embassy in Georgetown to celebrate the 50th anniversary of China-Guyana relations.

“In recent years, trade between Guyana and China has grown steadily. According to data from China Customs Authority, bilateral trade exceeded US$500 million for the first time in 2020, and reached US$710 million in 2021. Moreover, with the rapid development of Guyana’s oil-and-gas industry, the trade between China and Guyana grew by 213 per cent in the last five years, with an average annual growth rate of over 42.5 per cent,” the Chinese ambassador said.

China and Guyana established relations when representatives from both sides signed a joint communique in London on June 27, 1972.

“The establishment of relations between China and Guyana opened a new chapter of Caribbean relations, because Guyana is the first country in the English-speaking Caribbean to establish diplomatic relations with China,” said Ambassador Guo.

Over the past 50 years, the ambassador noted, the two countries enjoyed cooperation under five broad areas. These are political relations, economic cooperation, healthcare, human resource and capacity building and people-to-people relations.


Under political relations, there have been interactions between leaders of the two countries at different times, including across changes in administration, while under economic cooperation, China has assisted Guyana with a number of infrastructural projects, including the construction of the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.

Under healthcare, Guyana has benefited from being the first Caribbean country to receive COVID-19 vaccines donated by the Chinese Government, while the Chinese Medical Brigade has been coming to Guyana since 1993, following the establishment of a Medical Cooperation Agreement between the two countries on May 26, 1993.

In the area of capacity building, the Chinese Government has offered a number of scholarships and training courses to Guyanese at leading universities in China.

“There is a bright future for China-Guyana Relations. There are favourable conditions in three common [categories]: Philosophies, goals and interests,” said Ambassador Guo.

She also said that the two countries have much in common in their aspirations towards ‘green’ development, being people-centred and in sustainable development.

The launch of the Online photo exhibition, which features 82 photographs, captures moments in relations between the two countries. It is the latest event to celebrate 50 years of friendship between the two countries.

The launch of the exhibition is expected to be followed by a Chinese Film festival which opens on Wednesday at MovieTowne Cinema. The movies include the science fantasy film, ‘Wandering Earth’, and will continue with the films, ‘Nice View’, ‘Vanguard’, ‘Hi Mom’ and ‘White Snake’.

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