 | |
 China |  Guyana |
|---|---|
| Diplomatic mission | |
| Guyanese Embassy,Beijing | Chinese Embassy,Georgetown |
China–Guyana relations refers to thebilateral relations between thePeople's Republic of China andGuyana.
In the second half of1843, theBritish government ruling Guyana issued licenses to allowBritish Guiana and other places to importChinese workers from otherBritish Straits Settlements.[1]: 91 In1853, 154 Chinese arrived inDemerara, British Guiana by ship fromXiamen (69 died en route).[2] These Chinese workers made a living onplantations in Guyana. Although their work was demanding and the working hours long, they were known for their ability to endure hardships and abide by the law. Due to their diligence, plantation owners in Guyana requested the government expand the scale of labor imports from China.[3]: 170 However, most of the plantations in Guyana were located inswamps ortropical jungles. The weather was humid and hot, andmosquitoes were seriously infested, leading to prevalence ofyellow fever andmalaria. Many Chinese workers died of these diseases.[4]: 168 TheBritish colonial government centrally managed the importation of labour into Guyana; between 1853 and 1879, 13,281 Chinese labourers were assigned to work on 176 plantations in Guyana.[5]: 290
Before a large number ofIndian farmers migrated to Guyana,rice cultivation in Guyana was mainly carried out by Chinese workers.[6]: 243 Some Chinese scholars therefore believe that Chinese workers played an important role in the development of Guyana's material civilization. In addition, Chinese workers in Guyana also improved localrubber cultivation andsugar refining.[7]: 509 Guyana ceased receiving new Chinese immigrant workers after 1879, and most of the previous Chinese workers did not return to their home country due to economic problems or personal wishes.[8]: 44 The firstPresident of Guyana afterindependence,Arthur Chung, was a descendant of local Chinese; he was also the first Chinese president outside ofAsia.[9]
Guyana had contacts with the People's Republic of China beforeindependence. The People's Republic of China supported Guyana's independence fromBritain. Political parties advocating for Guyana's independence included thePeople's Progressive Party and thePeople's National Congress Party.[10]: 205 The People's Progressive Party was considered morecommunist, while the People's National Congress Party had a cooler attitude towards the People's Republic of China when in power.[11]: 432 Janet Rosenberg Jagan, thenGeneral Secretary of the People's Progressive Party, visited China in 1962 and was received byMao Zedong andZhou Enlai;[10]: 205 in addition, some workers', youth, and women's groups in Guyana also visited China.[12]
Guyana became an independent country in late May1966.Forbes Burnham of the People's National Congress Party later became the country'sPrime Minister.[11]: 432 Zhou Enlai, thenPremier of the People's Republic of China, sent a telegram to Burnham to congratulate Guyana on its independence;[13] however, the Guyanese government invited theRepublic of China, which had retreated toTaiwan, to send personnel to participate in the independence celebrations, and later acceptedagricultural technicians from the Republic of China to provide local assistance.[11]: 432 Chiang Kai-shek, then President of the Republic of China, sentdiplomat Xue Yuqi to participate in the independence celebrations,[14] and the head of the Republic of China's agricultural technical delegation to Guyana also visited the country in 1970 to learn about the country's rice production.[15]: 28 In 1970, Guyana joined theNon-Aligned Movement. At that time, some member states of the Non-Aligned Movement were friendly to the People's Republic of China. Influenced by these countries, the Guyanese government sought to improve its relations with the People's Republic of China.[11]: 433 In 1971, then Prime Minister of Guyana, Burnham, spoke at theCommonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference, stating that "the world widely recognizes Communist China, even at the expense of Taiwan". In the same year, he received a delegation sent by the People's Republic of China and stated that the Guyanese government recognized the government of the People's Republic of China as the legitimate and only government of China. In 1971, Guyana voted in favor ofUN General Assembly Resolution 2758, supporting the People's Republic of China replacing the Republic of China's seat in theUnited Nations.[11]: 433
Subsequently, the People's Republic of China and Guyana reached an agreement to establish business offices in each other's countries. On June 27, 1972, Guyana formally establisheddiplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China, becoming the first English-speaking country in theCaribbean to do so.[16]
Burnham ruled for 21 years, followed by a change in government. The Republic of China sent personnel tolobby the new Guyanese government and promised substantial aid. Some officials of the new government became interested in this promisedeconomic aid.[11]: 394 Personnel from the People's Republic of China visited the new government'scabinet members and took the opportunity to explain theTaiwan issue in detail to senior officials.[11]: 394–395 In April 1993, theAmbassador of the Republic of China toGrenada presented gifts to theCaribbean Community Secretariat in Guyana, and the People's Republic of China made representations to Guyana. TheMinister of Foreign Affairs of Guyana personally met with personnel from the People's Republic of China and stated that the Ambassador of the Republic of China was invited by the Caribbean Community Secretariat. Guyana was not in a position to refuse to issue avisa, but the country's cabinet meeting had decided to prohibit senior government officials from communicating with the Ambassador of the Republic of China.[11]: 395
In 2022,exports from Guyana to China totaled$1 billion.[17] Currently, Chinesestate-owned companies are constructing the largestbridge in Guyana, which will span theDemerara River.[18]Trade between the two nations has grown significantly, rising from $180 million in 2013 to $1.4 billion in 2024.[19]
SeveralChinese companies operate in Guyana and established the Chinese Enterprises Association in 2014.[20] In 2014, thecargo ship Yuanheng, built by a Chinese company in Guyana, was launched. This ship is the first medium-sized or large ship built in Guyana in decades and is planned for transportingtimber.[21]
TheUniversity of Guyana hosts aConfucius Institute, officially established in May 2014.[22] The institute plans to send teachers to visitprimary and secondary schools in Guyana to introduceChina,Chinese language, andChinese culture to local students.[23] Additionally, the People's Republic of China has providedscholarships for Guyanese students to study in China.[24]
After the People's Republic of China established diplomatic relations with Guyana, Guyana proposed achievingself-sufficiency in food, clothing, and housing, and asked China to assist in constructingtextile factories andbrick factories.[25]: 125 Guyana'spower transmission system is unstable, leading to frequentpower outages. To address this, the People's Republic of China provided Guyana with preferential loans to finance the construction ofcables,substations, and other facilities, with relevant projects starting in 2011.[26]
The People's Republic of China has sentmedical personnel to Guyana to providemedical services andvolunteers to providesocial services in various fields.[27] Due to Guyana'spoverty and underdevelopedmedical industry, most employees of local Chinese-funded enterprises were unable to undergo regularphysical examinations.[28] In 2011, medical personnel sent by China to Guyana provided free comprehensive physical examination services to employees of local Chinese-funded enterprises, with over 20 employees participating. Chinese volunteers in Guyana provideveterinary,traditional Chinese medicine, and other services.[29][30][31]
