AS Guyana continues its growth and transformation, President Dr. Irfaan Ali has said that the government wants this transformation to position the country as one of the most innovative and diversified economies, but this requires solidifying existing diplomatic partnerships and establishing new ones.

The Head of State made those remarks during a reception in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

The President said that China has played a role in the transformation currently taking place across Guyana, and added that the Asian nation and Guyana’s relationship has grown from strength to strength.

Dr. Ali related that if one looks at Guyana’s portfolio of investment and financing, one would see the broadening of relationships and partnerships spanning every corner of the world.

“We understand that the pace of development and the pace of growth requires us solidifying existing partnerships; but as we solidify existing relationships, we believe that we must work hard to win and bring new friends with us,” said President Dr. Ali.

The President further related that just as China has been working over the decades to expand its diplomatic and economic reach, so too must Guyana expand its reach.

He mentioned: “We must expand our reach so that we can support this growth that is taking place and so that our footprint – our global footprint can be in every corner.”

With this, the Head of State told the gathering that these partnerships and relationships are not only diplomatic but are economic at governance levels and that of social services including intellectual.

He said that many times focus is not placed on intellectual partnerships and this is a critical part of economic transformation involving knowledge sharing and training of human resource potential among other things. This is a role that China is playing in this transformation.

Against this backdrop, President Ali indicated that the establishment of the People’s Republic of China 75 years ago marked the beginning of an extraordinary journey of transformation and progress.

He noted that the country has achieved remarkable progress and its unwavering support for the developing world must be recognised.

“The cooperation between our nations has led our engagement in significant ways, whether it’s trade, investment, health, education, technology – these are areas that are critical as we build a strong resilient future for our country.” President Ali said.

Chinese Ambassador to Guyana, Guo Haiyan acknowledged the visible transformation taking place across the country, and indicated that they have seen the government working around the clock to promote national development.

“China fully understands Guyana’s desire to seize the opportunity to develop itself, and always stands ready to be a steadfast partner in Guyana’s development,” the Ambassador said.

Haiyan went on to add that China will never forget that Guyana is the first English-speaking Caribbean country to forge diplomatic ties with China, and over the past 52 years, China-Guyana relations have deepened steadily and withstood the test of time.

The Ambassador noted that the two countries have continued to deepen mutual political trust and diplomatic relations over the years.

She pointed to a historical visit made by President Ali to China last year which saw a joint statement being released providing strong guidance for China and Guyana to build an even closer community with a shared future.