Dear Editor,
From the banks of the Berbice River − Bai Shan Lin Investments, stretching across to the Potaro-Kuribrong Rivers − the Amaila Hydroelectric project, going on to Corriverton − Skeldon Sugar factory to the streets of Georgetown − commercial stores and Chinese products − and I can go on and on − Chinese influence can be felt everywhere.
Small states like Guyana that have been experiencing diminishing aid from traditional multilateral development agencies rush to fill this void for development financing at the very attractive financial terms and conditions that the Chinese offer. Those vested with the authority should be negotiating a better package of measures relating to every single one of the Chinese investments to include training programmes, technology transfer and the fostering of local management skills. This should be coupled with reserving a proportion of Chinese investment and infrastructure projects for local firms and labour.
The experience of many countries in Latin America and the Caribbean provides lessons that it is a two-way street for Chinese investments and commercial activity. These countries have negotiated benefits in relation to trade, services and employment for their people. Indeed in Guyana one cannot only see it through the lens that China is an attractive development financier but from a political viewpoint. It can clearly be seen that China has shifted from its Cold War ideology to the modern pursuit of economic self-interest in the form of access to raw materials, markets and spheres of influence through investment and trade assistance − to the point where China can be suspected of pursuing the goals of any classical imperialist.
Yours faithfully,
(Name and address
provided)
