The visiting chairman of the all-powerful US House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee, Jason Smith has underlined the need for expanding American participation in the Guyana oil and gas sector and to outcompete China in this arena.
While both Washington and Beijing have been quietly jockeying for influence here, the US Congressman from the state of Missouri was not shy about stating this yesterday.
Smith, a Republic and a businessman, said in a release issued by the House Ways and Means Committee in Washington DC that he had met here yesterday with President Irfaan Ali and Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo and had stated his interest in expanding America’s participation in Guyana’s energy production where US oil major ExxonMobil is the lead player.
The release noted that Guyana is experiencing a massive increase in offshore oil production, a trend that is expected to continue. Chairman Smith underlined how America can lead the way in developing, extracting, and selling Guyanese oil and that this expanding production has the “potential to greatly benefit both the United States and Guyana, and help thwart China’s attempts to achieve energy dominance”.
Smith made the following statement after the delegation’s bilateral meeting with President Ali, Vice President Jagdeo, and cabinet officials:
“We appreciate the productive conversation the delegation had with President Dr. Ali about the American–Guyanese bilateral relationship. Guyana’s abundant energy resources have the potential to lift its people out of poverty, help power the world, and ensure more affordable energy for American families and job creators. China also is participating in Guyana’s oil production. America must be committed to outcompeting China around the world while strengthening key American supply chains, increasing U.S. production of affordable energy resources, and improving partnerships with allies in the Western Hemisphere and beyond. Our delegation’s meetings have shown how U.S. bilateral relationships in the region benefit American workers and provide a much-needed alternative to countries that might otherwise orient their economies toward China. An energy boom in Guyana can help American workers while also benefiting the people of Guyana and their economy.”
Smith told Fox News yesterday that his congressional delegation helped present the US here as a “much-needed alternative” to China.
Guyana signed on to China’s Belt and Road Initiative in 2018 and this initiative has been a major concern for Washington.
Prior to visiting Guyana, Smith had also expressed concern about Beijing in his Committee’s trip to Ecuador.
A press release from that meeting said that during a bipartisan meeting with Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso and key members of his cabinet, Smith reiterated the need to increase U.S. engagement in Ecuador to help counter China’s growing influence in the region.
He made the following statement after the delegation’s bilateral meeting with President Guillermo Lasso, Foreign Minister Juan Carlos Holguin, and Minister of Production Julio Jose Prado Lucio-Paredes:
“We had a productive exchange with President Lasso today about our two countries’ strong and growing relationship. As Ways and Means Chair-man, one of my priorities is using America’s trade and tax policy to secure our supply chains and counter China’s growing presence in the developing world, especially in the Western Hemisphere. I made sure to visit Ecuador on my first international trip as Ways and Means Committee Chairman because the U.S.-Ecuador relationship is a high priority.
“Today, we emphasized the importance of our country’s ties with Ecuador and how both countries can become less dependent on China by developing resilient supply chains in the Western Hemisphere. We must use every tool at our disposal, including trade, to counter China’s influence in Latin America, and I shared my concerns with President Lasso about Ecuador’s expanding trade ties with China. Additionally, Ecuador’s import licensing regime and variable tariffs make it very difficult for American farmers, including beef and pork producers, to export to Ecuador. There are opportunities to strengthen our relationship with Ecuador for the benefit of American workers, farmers, small businesses, and our national security. The Biden Administration should seize opportunities to engage with Ecuador and other willing partners in the Americas and around the world to roll back Chinese influence”, he said.
With the Republicans now in control of the US House, sharp diversions have been signalled from the positions of the Biden Administration.
The House Committee on Ways and Means is the oldest committee of the United States Congress and is the chief tax-writing committee in the House of Representatives, the statement said. Since 1795, the committee has exercised jurisdiction over revenue and related issues such as tariffs, international trade policy, and the bonded debt of the United States, the US Embassy said.
