New Chinese Ambassador accredited

New Chinese Ambassador to Guyana His Excellency Zhang Limin presented his Letters of Credence to President Donald Ramotar on Monday and vowed to continue the “time honoured” friendship which the two countries have been sharing over the last four decades, the Government Information Agency (GINA) has reported.

“During my tenure in office, I will exhort my efforts to further develop the friendly relations and cooperation between China and Guyana and the friendship between our two peoples,” Ambassador Limin assured President Ramotar.

“The Government and people of Guyana are especially grateful to China for the tangible contributions which we have received in several areas.” President Ramotar was quoted as saying.

New Chinese Ambassador to Guyana Zhang Limin shakes hands with President Donald Ramotar. (GINA photo)

Guyana was the first country in the Caribbean Community (Caricom) to establish diplomatic ties with China, but there has been a link between the two that dates back to 1853, when Chinese immigrants arrived in Guyana to work as indentured servants.

Guyana and China celebrated 40 years of diplomatic relations on June 27 this year.  Within recent years, GINA noted, China has emerged as one of Guyana’s main non-traditional export markets, along with India and Brazil. Guyana exports approximately 34 products to China on a yearly basis, and recently received two new roll-on/roll-off ferry vessels and benefited from military air corps pilot and engineer training.

GINA said that Guyana and China have signed agreements to boost priority projects in the areas of transportation, health care, training and culture during the Eleventh Session for the Guyana/China Joint Commission on Economic Trade and Technical Cooperation.  At that forum Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan announced US$1 billion of preferential loans to support the local economic development of Caribbean countries.