Guyana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hugh Todd has hailed Beijing’s “commitment to true multilateralism” and restated this country’s support for the One China policy.
His statement came at a virtual meeting of other CARICOM Foreign Ministers with Wang Yi, State Councillor and Foreign Minister of China on April 29. Relations between Guyana and China were briefly roiled last year February when it was announced that a Taiwan office was being set up here. That decision was reversed a day later.
A release on April 29 from Guyana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that main purpose of the meeting was to reflect on the achievements of Caribbean-China relations over the past 50 years, discuss issues of mutual interest and an advancement in the programme of cooperation and interaction among Caribbean countries and China. In June this year, Guyana and China will observe the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations and major events are planned.
According to the release, Todd noted “China’s commitment to true multilateralism as the path to finding shared solutions to global challenges with the participation of all states” and took the opportunity to reaffirm Guyana’s commitment to the One China Policy.
Todd also addressed climate change owing to the existential threat it presents to countries particularly those in the Caribbean. He underlined Guyana’s principal concerns which remain the achievement of the 1.5 degree Celsius target and access to sufficient financing for adaptation and mitigation. Critics have said that Georgetown’s declarations on climate change clash fundamentally with its decision for unhindered extraction of oil offshore and its major plans for conversion of gas into energy.
The release said that Todd outlined the particular challenges of Guyana as a low-lying coastal state, vulnerable to flooding as a result of sea level rise and extreme weather events, such as heavy rainfall. He said that this threatens important sectors of Guyana’s economy, including critical infrastructure, thereby hindering Guyana’s ability to adapt to the severe impacts of climate change.
Todd further told the meeting that there is a need to bridge the energy and infrastructure gap in the region to expand disaster preparedness, push economic recovery and tackle challenges to food security, among others.
Impediments to investment in infrastructure, both on the demand and supply sides and lack of available funding also pose a challenge to bridging this gap, Todd said. He added that building hardy economies entails investing in resilient infrastructure, restoring trade, particularly through increased connectivity and sustainable supply chains and long-term investments in low-carbon technologies.
The Minister welcomed China’s support and advocacy to increase ambitions for adaptation and mitigation as he said that a coordinated push for finance is urgently needed.
A release from the Chinese Embassy on the meeting reported Wang Yi as saying “that the world is in a period of turbulence and transformation, the global economic and social development and security situations are facing complex and severe challenges, and the future of all countries is connected more than ever before. Now more than ever, China and Caribbean countries need to strengthen solidarity, overcome difficulties together, deepen cooperation and create a better future. The two sides should firmly seize the historic opportunity, further unleash the potential of cooperation and forge a higher level of partnership. China is ready to make joint efforts with Caribbean countries to promote peace and development, draw up a blueprint for the development of China-Caribbean countries relations, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation and continue to promote friendship between the two peoples”.
Without any political strings
He added that China will continue to provide economic and technological aid to Caribbean countries “without any political strings attached”, focus on supporting projects of interest to Caribbean countries and vigorously develop projects that benefit the people and promote practical technologies.
A second press release from the Chinese Embassy said that the meeting agreed that the two sides need to enhance political mutual trust, continue to support each other on issues concerning each other’s core interests, and “advocate and practice true multilateralism”.
Second, the two sides need to work together to promote post-COVID economic recovery and pursue deeper and more substantive progress in China’s Belt and Road cooperation. It also said that China will up the number of government scholarships to Caribbean countries.
The release also stated that China is ready to hold the eighth round of consultations between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China and the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the Caribbean countries as soon as possible and the second China-Caribbean Conference on Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Cooperation.
Beijing is also ready to arrange for a special envoy for Caribbean affairs to visit the region as early as possible.
The meeting was co-chaired by Wang Yi and Reginald Austrie, then acting Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica.
The Foreign Ministers of Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago also participated in the meeting. Barbados was represented by the Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade.
