From infrastructure to digital economy: China and Guyana pave way for deeper bilateral ties

Jul 10, 2026 News

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(Kaieteur News) To mark a dual celebration of national and political milestones, diplomats, statesmen, and political figures gathered at the Red House on Wednesday, July 8 to commemorate both the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 60th Anniversary of Guyana’s Independence.

Against this historic backdrop, the core dialogue centered on rigid internal party discipline, the fight against institutional corruption, and a candid critique of Guyana’s current economic model.

Addressing the gathering, Chinese Ambassador to Guyana, Yang Yang, pulled back the curtain on the immense internal mechanisms required to govern a political body of 100 million members spread across 5.25 million primary-level organisations. Emphasising the CPC’s absolute zero-tolerance stance on corruption, Ambassador Yang shared the stringent personal parameters dictated by party discipline that govern her own diplomatic tenure.

“I myself am not allowed to engage in business activities, use my position as ambassador to seek favours or assistance for my relatives, or accept gifts from individuals or entities under my supervision,” Yang stated.

To illustrate the party’s shift toward people-centered governance, she highlighted that the 1st July Medal, the CPC’s highest internal honor, was recently awarded to eight ordinary citizens, including community workers and rural doctors who spent decades serving at the grassroots level.

Ambassador Yang Yang further highlighted the parallel historical trajectories of the CPC, which has grown from 50 members in 1921 to the world’s largest governing party with over 100 million members, and Guyana’s People’s Progressive Party (PPP).

“Both the CPC and PPP know well that the destiny of a country cannot be controlled by external forces,” Ambassador Yang stated, drawing a connection between the first line of China’s national anthem (“Arise, we who refuse to be slaves”) and the final line of Guyana’s (“Land of the Free”). The Ambassador emphasised China’s early recognition of Guyana’s independence 60 years ago. To mark Guyana’s Diamond Jubilee, China contributed to the construction of the China-Guyana Friendship Park and dispatched the Hebei Acrobatic Troupe to perform in the country.

Former Guyanese President Donald Ramotar echoed these sentiments, delivering an expansive historical overview of China’s pre-revolutionary struggles, including the Taiping Rebellion, the Boxer Uprising, and the 1911 Revolution led by Dr. Sun Yat-sen, which culminated in the 1949 victory. Ramotar explicitly praised China’s immense, often underreported sacrifices during World War II, noting that China lost over 20 million lives while holding down fascist Japanese forces, preventing a two-front war for the Soviet Union.

Ramotar also provided a candid look at Guyana’s own complex road to independence in 1966, noting it was achieved under a state of emergency with prominent political prisoners, such as former Education Minister Cedric Nunes, behind bars. He reminded the audience that under colonial and early post-colonial alignments, Guyana initially voted in September 1966 against the Albanian resolution to seat the People’s Republic of China at the United Nations, a policy the PPP fiercely contested until formal diplomatic ties were established in 1972.

A core theme of the forum was the commitment to human development. Ambassador Yang outlined China’s rapid industrialisation through 15 consecutive Five-Year Plans, creating what he called “two miracles: rapid economic growth and long-term social stability.”

Ambassador Yang connected the milestones of China increasing the life expectancy of its citizens from 35 years in 1949 to 79 years today, lifting 850 million Chinese citizens out of poverty since the reform and opening-up era. This represents close to twice the total population of South America and 70% of global poverty reduction and finally China currently contributing approximately 30% to global economic growth and building the world’s largest education, social security, and health care systems.

The Chinese diplomat referenced Guyana’s domestic governance, praising Dr. Cheddi Jagan’s lifelong fight for social justice and President Irfaan Ali’s contemporary “One Guyana” initiative, which aims to ensure equitable development opportunities for all citizens.

However, while acknowledging the rapid, visible infrastructure transformation sweeping across Guyana, former President Donald Ramotar delivered a sobering assessment of the domestic economy. He cautioned that despite skyrocketing headline Gross Domestic Product (GDP) numbers, Guyana remains heavily trapped in a legacy model of raw material production, leaving vital traditional sectors on the backfoot.

“We’re not manufacturing many things. We’re not refining our gold. We’re not refining our oil,” Ramotar warned.

Ramotar stressed that an economy built solely on exporting unrefined commodities cannot sustain equitable long-term development. To counter this, he called on citizens and civil society organisations to raise their voices and actively participate in public governance, ensuring that the fruits of expanding global partnerships are used to build a genuinely diversified and equitable society.

Both speakers focused heavily on the role of political philosophy in state sustainability. Ramotar discussed the leadership of Deng Xiaoping, attributing China’s economic acceleration, which at points reached 12% to 15% GDP growth per year, to a precise, pragmatic application of Marxism to Chinese realities, summarised by the principle of “seeking truth from facts.”

He noted that by reforming management in state-owned enterprises and utilising the market as an instrument for resource allocation, China dramatically shifted its global economic standing. The former president cited recent figures showing that while China’s share of global GDP stood at just 1.8% in 1978 (compared to the U.S. at 22%), by 2025 China’s share had risen to 19.3%, with the U.S. at 14.5%.

The transition toward a green economy emerged as a vital focal point. Ramotar recalled his first visits to China in 1996 and 2001 when major cities suffered from permanent industrial smog. Today, he observed, China has successfully pioneered an ecological revolution, greening deserts and clearing the skies of Beijing. China has become a global leader in clean energy, including hydroelectricity, wind, and solar power.

On the international stage, Ambassador Yang reiterated China’s adherence to a path of peaceful development, invoking the traditional adage, “Only the wearer knows if the shoes fit.” She rejected external interference and ideological lectures from positions of superiority. The diplomat commended Guyana’s constructive role in global food security, climate change, and international justice during its recent tenure on the UN Security Council.

Historically, inter-party relations have run deep; in 1962, Janet Jagan, then General Secretary of the PPP, braved colonial obstruction to visit Beijing, where she was received by Chairman Mao Zedong and Premier Zhou Enlai. This tradition continues with annual delegations, including recent high-profile visits by PPP Central Executive Committee members Donald Ramotar and Clement Rohee.

Looking toward the future, Ambassador Yang affirmed that the CPC is ready to translate shared governance philosophies into concrete bilateral actions. China aims to deepen investments and cooperation with Guyana across a multi-sectoral spectrum in Infrastructure and Energy, Agriculture and Health, Education and People-to-People Exchanges and Digital Economy and Green Development.

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• China, Digital, economy, Guyana, Infrastructure

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