Dear Editor,
President Ali’s recent visits abroad and his conversations with his counterparts are no exception to the ebb and flow of messages between capitals. Messages reflecting Guyana’s and other friendly countries individual interests could be discerned partially from interviews given by the President himself as well as from the emanating from his counterparts. These messages should be neither overestimated nor underestimated. So when GHK Lall writes in S/N edition of August 24, 2022 that ‘there is clear and convincing evidence the Americans are on the move, and the Chinese are being moved out of contention,’ one is left to wonder how his conclusion jives with the Ali administration’s publicly stated interest in attracting investors from all countries from both the east and west.
We Guyanese did not need GHK Lall to tell us that since our independence as a nation, the US continues to be one of our country’s valued partners in development, suffice it to say the relationship has had its up and downs, though at this historic stage, our country’s developmental thrust should be viewed in a totally different context. The GOG has highlighted its interest in partnering with all countries in pursuit of its development goals including the strengthening of democracy and good governance, establishment of a knowledge-based economy, food security, public safety and security, climate change, a development mix that includes infrastructure and economic transformation, as well as investment in health and education. The Americans, it would seem, want to play a greater part in Guyana’s economic development through increased investment in social and physical infrastructure. And, as we all know, the strategic objective is to counter China’s growing influence in the Caribbean.
As regards the view that …’the Chinese are on the move out of contention’ Mr. Lall should know that from a big picture perspective; ‘China is close to achieving global economic equivalence to the US, it knows that opportunity will follow and that it has a political system that can sustain over decades a hard to match approach that responds to small states’ need to rapidly upgrade infrastructure to support economic growth.’ (D. Jessop: The Long View S/N 9.11.’21). This brings us to the recent signing in May this year of the US$260 million contract between the Government of Guyana and China Railway Construction (Caribbean) Company and China Railway Construction Bridge Engineering Bureau Group Company Limited for the construction of the New Demerara Harbour Bridge, the largest public works project thus far in Guyana.
According to the Chinese Ambassador ‘The signing of the contract illustrates the fruitful relationship between the two countries and strengthens bilateral ties.’ In addition, the Ambassador revealed in June this year that ‘Trade between Guyana and China increased by 213 percent over the past five years reaching US$710 million in 2021.’ In the circumstances, to claim that ‘the Americans are on the move in and the Chinese are on the move out of contention’ seems to be not only a hard sell but a misrepresentation of the facts. The messages from Washington and Beijing to Guyana in respect to partnering with Guyana for development, while competitive in nature, envisages both countries committed to accommodating Guyana’s legitimate concerns and national interests.
Sincerely,
Clement J. Rohee
