China celebrated 53 years of diplomatic ties with Guyana. Unlike other countries like ABCE and India, China has not stood firmly with Guyana on the border controversy with Venezuela — not condemned Venezuela on its unjustifiable claim to two-thirds of Guyana’s territory although it has been the largest beneficiary of our resources including from the part that Venezuela claims.
China has a significant presence in Guyana in terms of exploiting our natural resources (gold, timber, fish, diamond, rare earth, manganese, sand or silica, among others) and construction as well as providing loans at exorbitant interest rates. Guyana has huge trade links (deficits) with China and Chinese businesses are deeply tied to corruption and undermining local businesses as well as hard working truckers who can’t compete with Chinese truckers who enjoy special privileges and engage in unfair practices. The Chinese illegally engage in sand pitting and ownership of mines. Yet, China has not found it prudent to side with Guyana against Venezuela’s illegal claim with which China has extremely friendly relations. China wants to retain close relations with Venezuela while fetching our resources that is used to transform China into a first world nation while we remain third world.
Clearly, China cannot be trusted to defend Guyana’s national territory or our national interests, and must, therefore, be handled firmly as it relates to Venezuela and on other matters of national development and security. In contrast, the USA is fully with Guyana and has come out firmly on our side, denouncing Venezuela’s claim to our territory. In fact, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated unequivocally that the US will defend Guyana’s territory and American companies operating in Guyana’s waters. We can trust the Americans, not China when it comes to defending our territory. And Washington is deeply concerned with the Chinese presence in Guyana.
It must be pointed out that China’s increasing presence in Guyana and the greater Caribbean (Latin American) region pose a security challenge to USA and to our country. China has had a global geo-strategic presence in Africa, the Pacific, and Indian Ocean challenging historic American dominance globally since the end of the cold war in 1990. The large Chinese military has been bullying nations in the Pacific (Philippines, Vietnam, among others) and India and other South Asian nations and China has refused to submit itself to international courts on conflicts. The Chinese has built ports in Latin America and has sought military installations, passed off as civilian, in Guyana and neighboring countries. China’s global military forays are of serious concern to global security; the widespread Latin presence is also of paramount concern to Washington.
The Chinese has a presence all over Latin America that is of economic and strategic value; China has invested tens of billions in American dollars in the region. Chinese state-owned banks have distributed over $150 billion to governments in the region. It is not forgotten that China owns some 25% of the Stabroek block, obtaining billions of American dollars in revenues annually since 2019 and returning virtually nothing in terms of grants and aid to Guyana from the returns. Exxon does sponsor many community and sports projects and off trading to Guyanese in the hundreds of millions in American dollars; China’s grants are minuscule compared with Exxon and the Americans.
China’s economic leverage in the region has had serious geo-political consequences. In Guyana, alone, the Chinese has invested close to ten billion dollars in recent years and have extracted resources worth over 100 billions over the same period; gold, lumber, manganese, and other critical minerals have being shipped out of Guyana almost daily over the last couple decades. The Chinese has provided large amounts of loans to Guyana and has heavily indebted the country which we may have difficulty repaying and suffer the faiths that have befallen Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Nepal, and Bangladesh. Guyana’s per capita debt is perhaps the largest globally. It is not an exaggeration to say that China will soon own Guyana. It is rapidly taking over Guyanese family businesses that have been complaining to deaf ear.
The Americans are closely monitoring the Chinese presence in the greater Latin American and Caribbean region and Guyana. The politicians and the government Guyana must avoid further entangling of our country (investment, trade, loans, military presence, satellite links, and other security matters) with China. The Americans will offer protection of our border against gangs coming from Venezuela and drug cartels smuggling drugs and gold from across the border to Europe, North America, and the Middle East. The US will also protect our forests and sea shelf that are rich in economically important resources like oil, gas, and rare earth minerals.
A group of Guyanese in the diaspora and in Guyana are advocating for a close linkage with USA for security against Venezuela and narco trafficking. Some are even proposing that Guyana become a territory of USA. They recognize the power and influence of USA and President Trump who has shown to be among the most powerful President in the history of America.
After WWII (1945) and since the Monroe Doctrine (1823) respectively, USA has been the global, as well as the region’s preeminent economic, military, and political power. USA will not allow China to undermine the American interests in the region. The US will continue to make decisions that shape the politics and economics of the region, including Guyana. China will not be able to or willing to protect Guyana. It is not a power we can trust.
Our future and security is tied with USA, not China.
