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Grain of Salt
Dear Editor,
The recent statement (“Beijing embassy here issues reminder to Chinese businesses on lawful conduct”. Stabroek News October 2, 2025) by the Honourable Chinese Ambassador Yang Yang after meeting with the Government of Guyana is very interesting, but must be taken with a “grain of salt”.
Chinese nationals operating in Guyana are here for economic domination. This domination has already been proven in the retail/supermarket sector. This domination is now working its way through the transportation/ trucking sector.
Their business practices are ruthless and aggressive, intended to eliminate any competition. They have learned how to navigate and use an already corrupted Guyanese system to obtain this objective. This practice is not unique to Guyana, wherever Chinese nationals go, they tend to displace the locals in certain economic spheres.
I can speak personally to their business practice, as my mother, who is the sister of Dr. Cheddi Jagan, fraudulently lost her property to a Chinese national presently charged with money laundering, and illegal firearm possession. My mother is now in the process of appealing the decision. If ever there was a case of “the law is an ass” this case would certainly qualify.
If the ambassador is serious about her statement, I am sure she will put her `money where her mouth is`. A simple request is to use her good office to encourage the national who stole my mother’s property to withdraw from the matter and return the property.
However, I do admire the Chinese Ambassador’s zeal in protecting her people. I cannot say the same for the PPP, a party which was built by the sweat, blood and tears of my family. Unfortunately, the political elite in Guyana are too easily influenced by foreign interests.
Guyanese have endured decades of colonisation, a nefarious system that has robbed us of our dignity, humanity and resources and to see this exploitation continue is unacceptable. Guyanese have been complaining about Chinese national business practices and operations for years. It has taken the Ambassador to validate what Guyanese have been saying for years.
The influx of Chinese nationals into Guyana is not by accident but by design. As China expands its empire, through its “Belt and Road” initiative, it has chosen to use the “carrot” as opposed to the “stick” approach in its quest to replace the United States as a superpower. China is now the largest bi-lateral lender of money to Guyana. Its investment in Guyana increased forty-fold from US$256 million to a whopping $10.6 billion over the period 2019-2024. Guyana is critical for China in terms of its resources including rare mineral and geopolitical location.
Former President, Dr. Jagan once said, “We must set our face sternly against corruption and extravagance. We cannot have a Cadillac-style living with donkey-cart economies.”
Today in Guyana, we have a Cadillac economy but with a donkey-cart-style living. While some have become fabulously wealthy, the working class and poor continue to be abandoned and struggle in these times of abundance.
Raymond Ali
Nephew of Former President Dr. Cheddi Jagan.
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