Guyana China Relations

Guyana’

Originally a Dutch colony in the 17th century, by 1815 Guyana had become a British possession. The abolition of slavery led to settlement of urban areas by former slaves and the importation of indentured servants from India to work the sugar plantations. Guyana achieved independence from the UK in 1966. Forbes BURNHAM led the coalition government which won independence for British Guiana in 1966 and was Guyana’s first prime minister. He was the Prime Minister of Guyana from 1964 until he became President in 1980. He held the office of the presidency until his death in 1985. Desmond HOYTE became President in 1985 on the death of his predecessor, Forbes Burnham. In 1992, Cheddi JAGAN was elected president. After his death five years later, his wife, Janet JAGAN, became president but resigned in 1999 due to poor health. Her successor, Bharrat JAGDEO, was elected in 2001 and again in 2006. Early elections held in May 2015 re- sulted in the first change in governing party and the replacement of President Donald RAMOTAR by President David GRANGER. The elections in March 2020 saw the election of the current President is Irfaan ALI.

LOCATION: Northern South America, bordering the North Atantic Ocean, between Suriname and Venezuela.

CLIMATE: tropical; hot, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; two rainy seasons (May to August, November to January).

NATURAL RESOURCES:bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish, and, recently oil and gas.

GEOGRAPHY: the third smallest country in South America after Suriname and Uruguay (substantial portions of its western and eastern territories are claimed by Venezuela and Suriname respectively) contains some of the largest unspoiled rainforests on the continent.

POPULATION: 737,718 (July 2017 est.).

LANGUAGES: English (official), Guyanese Creole, Amerindian languages (including Caribbean and Arawak languages), Indian languages (including Caribbean Hindustani, a dialect of Hindi).

GOVERNMENT: Cooperative Republic of Guyana. The name is derived from Guiana, the original name for the region that included British Guiana, Dutch Guiana, and French Guiana; ultimately the word is derived from an indigenous Amerindian language and means “”Land of Many Waters”” (referring to the area’s multitude of rivers and streams).

CAPITAL: name: Georgetown geographic coordinates: 6 48 N,58 09 W.

INDEPENDENCE: 26 May 1966 (from the UK)

NATIONAL HOLIDAYS: Guyana observes a variety of holidays including that of Republic Day, 23 February (1970)

CONSTITUTION: There were several previous Constitutions. The latest promulgated was on the 6 October 1980. It has been amended many times, last in 2009 and 2017.

EXECUTIVE BRANCH: Head of State: The President is both Head of State and Head of Government.

Cabinet: The Cabinet of Ministers is appointed by the President and is responsible to the National Assembly.

Elections: the predesignated candidate of the winning party in the last election became President for a 5-year term. The Prime Minister is appointed by the president.

NATIONAL ANTHEM: “Name: “”Dear Land of Guyana, of Rivers and Plains”” lyrics/music: Archibald Leonard LUKERL/Robert Cyril Gladstone POTTER.

ECONOMY: The Guyanese economy exhibited moderate economic growth in recent years and is based largely on agriculture and extractive industries. With the discovery of oil and gas in 2015, the prospects for growth and development have improved.
The IMF and the World Bank have both projected substantial growth of the Guyana economy in the years ahead.

Introduction: The Entity China

The area of China is approximately 9.6 million square kilometers (3.7 million square miles) with a population of approximately 1.6 billion people. This means that 6.5 percent of the total world land area is occupied by 23 percent of the world human population. Out of this situation, the Chinese people have fashioned a civilisation and a culture which dates back to four thousand years.

The major language spoken is Mandarin. Cantonese is spoken mainly in the southern coast of China and in Hong Kong. Buddhism, Christianity, Islam and Taoism are the main religions of China.
1. Overall Assessment of China The most populous country in the world with a population of 1.6 billion people, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) possesses the fastest growing economy in the world, and is fast becoming a major multi-dimensional power in international affairs.

 

2. A Brief History of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) What is today called the People’s Republic of China emerged out of a unique set of historical circumstances. China and its civilization, which has been continuous for more than four thousand years, dominated the world until the nineteenth century. Inventions such as gun powder, paper are all uniquely Chinese. The People’s Republic of China was established on the 1st October, 1949 after the communist party had defeated Chiang Kai-Shek and the Japanese had been driven out of Asia at the end of the Second World War. Throughout the fifties and the sixties the communist party engaged in sever- al experiments, aimed at modernizing China. After the death of MaoTse Tung, Chinese leaders, including Deng Xiao Ping, decided to put China firmly on the road to modernization. As a result of major economic reforms under the rubric of “reform and opening up” China experienced unprecedented economic growth to the tune of 10% for approximately four decades. In the process China be- came the second largest economy in the world.

3. The Communist Party of China (CPC) The Communist Party of China has dominated the political, economic and social life of China since the establishment of the People’s Republic of China on the 1st October 1949. It was founded on July 1, 1921 in Shanghai. The Communist Party of China (CPC) is the largest political party in the world.

Organisation

The Party’s highest decision making body is the National People’s Congress, which meets at least once every five years. The most important organs of the Communist Party are the following:

  • The Politburo of the Standing Committee now consists of seven (7) members and is chaired by the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC). The names of the members of the Politburo of the Standing Committee will be found at Appendix.
  • The Politburo which consists of twenty-two (22) full members. The names of the members of the Politburo are at Appendix 2.

Central Military Commission – The Central Military Commission is the highest state military organ with the responsibility of commanding the armed forces of the People’s Republic of China. It is chaired by Xi Jinping, who is the General Secretary of the Central Committee and President of China.

Major Organisations under the Central Committee:

  • International Liaison Department.
  • United Front Work Department.
  • Organization Department.
  • Propaganda Department.
  • Party Central Academy.

4. The Chinese People’s Political Consultative Con- ference (CPPCC) It is often forgotten that apart from the Communist Party there is another political organisation which forms part of the body politic of China. This is the CPPCC which was established in 1954.

5. The State Council of the People’s Republic of China The State Council of the People’s Republic of China is the chief civilian administration of the People’s Republic of Chi- na. It is chaired by the Premier of China and consists of the Heads of each Government department and agency. There are about fifty (50) members of the State Council.