Xi, Ali vow to strengthen ties after 50 years

Guyana's President Mohamed Irfaan Ali speaks to reporters during the end of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting CHOGM at the Intare Arena conference on June 25, 2022 in Kigali. On Monday, SIMON MAINA AFP President Xi Jinping and Guyanese President Mohamed Irfaan Ali congratulated each other on the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Guyana, with both leaders vowing to strengthen bilateral ties.

In a congratulatory message to his Guyanese counterpart, Xi said that since the two countries established diplomatic relations 50 years ago, bilateral relations have made great progress with deepened political mutual trust and fruitful pragmatic cooperation.

President Xi said that he is willing to work with Guyanese President Mohamed Irfaan Ali to take the 50th anniversary as an opportunity to take bilateral ties to a new level to benefit the two countries and their peoples.

Since the pandemic started, Xi mentioned the countries' mutual support and assistance in fighting COVID 19 and said they have written a new chapter of the China-Guyana friendship.

He believes that he attaches great importance to the development of ties with Guyana, and that he is willing to work with Ali to take the 50th anniversary as an opportunity to take bilateral ties to a new level to benefit the two countries and their peoples.

As the first English-speaking country in the Caribbean region to establish diplomatic relations with China, Guyana firmly follows one-China policy, according to Ali's message to Xi.

Over the past 50 years, Ali said the two countries have been respecting each other, treating each other as equals and developing mutually beneficial cooperation, and their traditional friendship has stood the test of time.

He said that Guyana is ready to take the 50th anniversary as an opportunity to increase the friendship between the two countries.