Guyana N0.3 in global rankings for Chinese investment

May 08, 2026 News

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SAO PAULO, May 7 (Reuters) – Brazil reclaimed top spot globally ​for Chinese investment in 2025, attracting 10.9% of total outbound capital, followed by the ‌U.S. and Guyana, with 6.8% and 5.7%, respectively, according to data released on Thursday by the Brazil-China Business Council (CEBC).

Brazil received $6.1 billion in Chinese investment across dozens of projects, a 45% increase in capital compared to 2024, as Chinese companies worked to diversify their presence in Latin America’s largest economy and increase their footholds in the country’s clean energy and mining sectors.

Over the past five years, Brazil has alternated between first and fifth place among the world’s top destinations for Chinese investment, having claimed the top spot in 2021, CEBC said. Brazil has a weaker currency, a large consumer market, abundant natural resources, and clean energy, all features that Chinese investors find attractive. “There are only a few countries in the world today that have all these characteristics,” said Tulio Cariello, content and research director at CEBC.

FROM ELECTRICITY TO FAST FOOD

While the electricity sector continued to lead Chinese capital flows into Brazil, mining saw a surge of renewed interest, with investments tripling in 2025.

The automotive sector also stood out, ranking third overall in 2025 and accounting for 15.8% of total investment by Chinese corporations in Brazil. In years, both GWM and BYD have bought factories previously owned by Western automakers, converting them into production hubs for electric and hybrid vehicles. Both companies saw explosive sales growth in Brazil.

Chinese capital has also expanded into information technology, logistics, electronics manufacturing, digital economy services, and fast food. The production of electronic appliances attracted fresh Chinese investment in Brazil in 2025, ​for example, with Vivo Mobile launching its Jovi smartphone brand.

“Brazil is a long-term strategic priority for Jovi,” said Andre Varga, Jovi’s product director, in an interview in March. “It is a market with great potential, still concentrated among a few players, which offers us ​an opportunity to create differentiation and add value to the consumer.”

Chinese investments in Brazil will likely continue to be shaped by domestic policies, particularly regarding the energy transition, as well as external forces, including geopolitical tensions and the global push for ​decarbonization, according to CEBC. “We will see the continuation of these projects, and perhaps I would bet on an intensification in the mining sector, in the area of new energies, and also in the ​industrial sector in general, where we have seen considerable growth,” Cariello said.

With bilateral trade surging to nearly US$2.9 billion in 2025, more than doubling within a year and cementing China’s position as one of Guyana’s major trading partners, Chinese Ambassador to Guyana, Yang Yang, back in February underscored the deepening economic and diplomatic ties between the two countries.  Speaking at a reception hosted by the Chinese Embassy, Ambassador Yang outlined China’s recent economic achievements, stating that despite global economic challenges, the country recorded a 5 percent GDP growth rate in 2025, with total output surpassing 140 trillion yuan for the first time. She said China now contributes roughly 30 percent of global economic growth, providing stability to the international economy.

She further disclosed that China’s total imports and exports exceeded 45 trillion yuan last year, reflecting continued economic openness. Yang also referenced President Xi Jinping’s Global Governance Initiative launched in September 2025, which she said contributes to reforming and strengthening international cooperation frameworks. Turning to Guyana-China relations, the Ambassador said the partnership between the two countries has entered a “fast track” of development under the strategic leadership of Presidents Mohamed Irfaan Ali and Xi Jinping. According to Yang, bilateral trade between Guyana and China reached nearly US$2.9 billion in 2025, more than double the figure recorded the previous year. She highlighted the completion of the Bharrat Jagdeo Demerara River Bridge by a Chinese company, describing it as a “Bridge of Friendship and Development” that is improving transportation, easing daily commutes and stimulating regional economic activity.

Yang also pointed to the six regional hospitals constructed by Chinese firms, which she said have become a flagship symbol of cooperation under the “Health Silk Road” initiative. She praised the work of Chinese medical teams stationed in Guyana, noting their life-saving contributions and the positive reception from Guyanese citizens. The Ambassador reported increased people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, revealing that more than 200 Guyanese professionals from government, healthcare, business and other sectors traveled to China in 2025 for training programmes. She said the skills and knowledge gained have already begun contributing to Guyana’s national development agenda.

Looking ahead, Yang said Guyana stands to benefit from China’s long-term development planning under the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Communist Party of China Central Committee. She reaffirmed China’s commitment to working with Guyana to implement bilateral agreements and expand cooperation across infrastructure, trade, healthcare and cultural exchange. She noted that future collaboration will focus on strengthening both “hard connectivity” through physical infrastructure projects and “soft connectivity” by deepening cultural and social ties between citizens.

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• CEBC, Chinese investment, electric and hybrid vehicles, Guyana-China

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