Chinese premier meets with Guyanese president

Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Guyanese President Irfaan Ali in Beijing, capital of China, July 30, 2023. Ali, who is visiting China, attended the opening ceremony of the 31st summer edition of the FISU World University Games. [Xinhua/Liu Weibing]

BEIJING -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with Guyanese President Irfaan Ali in Beijing on Sunday, saying that China is willing to work with Guyana to promote relations between China and Caribbean countries, and to jointly safeguard the common interests of developing countries.

Li said that since the establishment of diplomatic ties more than five decades ago, China and Guyana have always treated each other with mutual respect and equality. The political mutual trust between the two sides has become even firmer as time goes by, he said, adding that the practical cooperation has achieved fruitful results, setting an example of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation between countries with different social systems, histories and cultures.

Li expressed China's readiness to continue to make joint efforts with Guyana to develop bilateral relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, and promote the building of a China-Guyana community with a shared future.

He pointed out that China firmly supports Guyana in pursuing a development path that is suitable for its own national conditions. Taking the Belt and Road Initiative as an opportunity, China is willing to strengthen cooperation with Guyana in economy, trade, agriculture, energy, green development and other areas.

China stands ready to work with Guyana to promote relations between China and Caribbean countries, meet global challenges together, safeguard the common interests of developing countries, and improve international fairness and justice, Li said.

Noting that China is a strategic partner of Guyana, Ali said that Guyana spoke highly of China's great achievements in advancing modernization, and thanked China for helping Guyana with its economic and social development. He welcomes Chinese enterprises to invest and do business in Guyana.

Ali said that Guyana appreciates China's important role in international affairs, and is willing to work with China to practice multilateralism and jointly address the global challenges of energy security, food security and climate change.

Ali, who is visiting China, attended the opening ceremony of the 31st summer edition of the FISU World University Games in Chengdu, capital city of southwest China's Sichuan Province.