The President’s visit to China was a major diplomatic failure

Aug 10, 2023 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

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Kaieteur News – The President’s Official Visit to China turned out to be a damp squib. The visit yielded minimal tangible outcomes, raising concerns about whether there has been a 90 degrees turn in relations between Guyana and China.

During the Jagdeo presidency, China had emerged as one of the country’s major development partner. The Chinese presence and investment in Guyana expanded significantly. China began to play a major role on funding development works in Guyana, including the building of roads, an international conference center, the renovations to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport and the Skeldon Sugar Factory. A Chinese construction firm was supposed to build the Hydroelectric Facility. The Chinese also were given the contract for the ‘One Laptop per Family’ initiative.  It was a Chinese firm that built the Marriot Hotel. Chinese businesses expanded in Guyana during this period.

But these projects were all enmeshed in controversies. There were allegations of backroom dealings. The Skeldon Sugar Factory became a white elephant. The ‘One Lap Top per Family’ Project was not without its critics and cost overruns and delays in the CJIA project blemished the image of China.

The incoming David Granger administration reset these relations with greater emphasis on bilateral engagements. China gave significant support to the Granger administration in improving national security and education. But perhaps the greatest coup, especially considering American concerns, was Guyana’s decision to sign onto the Belt and Road Initiative.

By then the new Cold War between the USA and China was in full bloom. The US Secretary of State came to Guyana and made strident criticisms of China, signaling clearly that the United States was not predisposed towards strong relations between Guyana and USA.

Immediately, a thaw in relations with China developed. Correspondingly, Guyana began emphasizing relations with the EXIM Bank of the USA rather than the EXIM Bank of China.  It is believed that there is a person within the Foreign Ministry whose role is to downgrade relations between Guyana and China.

The decision of Ali to accept an Official Visit to China represented an opportunity to reset relations with China and to conclude major agreements of cooperation. The Visit however was badly managed from the Guyana side with the Guyanese Head of State going to China with a gender imbalanced private sector team, instead of a strong corps of government Ministers and public officials to push bilateral agreements.

The visit was a major strategic blunder on the part of Irfaan Ali. China is the only country with the resources to assist Guyana push its development agenda at this time.

Sufficient groundwork was not laid for the President’s visit to China. This tends to suggest a return to the continuance of the decentralized decision-making of the Jagdeo era.

As a result of the lack of groundwork, there were no substantial outcomes to the President’s visit to China when compared with the potential benefits that could have been reaped. You do not go to China and come back empty-handed. The signing of a MOU is a waste of the time and energy of the Chinese government and a missed opportunity

Instead of a private sector team, the President should have walked with a high-level team of Ministers and public officials. . While involving the private sector can be beneficial for exploring investment opportunities, it is equally important for the government to be fully engaged in discussions related to bilateral agreements, development projects, and policy matters.

Also glaring was the absence of a shopping list of projects to be financed by the Chinese government. The President should have returned from China with firm commitments for these projects. The President did not leverage the visit to advance his development agenda and particularly his infrastructural projects which could have been furthered under the Belt and Road Initiative.

Instead, the lukewarm Joint Statement, issued at the conclusion of the Visit, merely applauded the Belt and Road Initiative. Guyana indicated its willingness to discuss and conclude the Joint Action Plan of the Initiative.

China has read correctly the smoke signals. It knows that Guyana is so afraid of the Americans that it is threading cautiously in its relations with China.

The lackluster visit has manifold implications for Guyana. It has the potential to undermine Guyana’s traditional standing as the main partner of China in the Caribbean. And this can affect Guyana’s ability to secure future financing for its development from China.

The mere signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) after a week-long visit, coupled with an underwhelming delegation, can be interpreted as a thawing of relations between Guyana and China.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of this newspaper and its affiliates.)

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• Cheddi Jagan International Airport, China, Guyana, minimal, Peeping Tom

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