President David Granger: Honourable Prime Minister and First Vice President, Moses Nagamootoo; Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs and Second Vice President, Mr. Carl Greenidge; His Excellency, Mr. Zhang Limin, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Guyana and Madame Liu Yiu; Ministers of the Government; Members of the National Assembly; Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission; Members of the Diplomatic Corps; Members of the Chinese community in Guyana; Members of the Chinese Medical Brigade; special invitees; members of the media, ladies and gentlemen:
The Cooperative Republic of Guyana attaches special importance to its relations with the People’s Republic of China. Guyana and China established diplomatic relations on the 27th June, 1972, only eight months after supporting the United Nations General Assembly Resolution #2758.
This Resolution, you will recall, recognised the People’s Republic of China as, and I quote, “the only legitimate representative of China to the United Nations”. Guyana has enjoyed cordial relations with China for the past forty-four years. These relations have been based on mutual respect for each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, mutual understanding, cooperation for mutual benefit and non-interference in each other’s internal affairs.
Ladies and gentlemen, the appointment of His Excellency, Zhang Limin, as Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China four years ago energised the Guyana-China relations. Those relations have increased the impetus to investment, trade and other forms of cooperation between the Cooperative Republic of Guyana and the People’s Republic of China.
Guyana applauds the Ambassador’s efforts to strengthen relations between our two republics. Guyana salutes his personal effort to ensure the success of the projects and agreements between our two countries.
Guyana welcomes the Embassy’s public diplomacy, especially in making contributions to small enterprises and also to large national causes, from bicycles to laptops. Ambassador Zhang Limin has been relentless in expediting agreements and in promoting commercial ties, encouraging cultural relations between Guyana and China, while at the same time watching over the growing community of Chinese nationals in Guyana.
He has been an outstanding servant of his country and his service to Guyana is deeply appreciated. We wish to thank him sincerely for his affability and his amity during his eventful tour of duty.
We wish him and his dear wife, Madame Liu Yiu, a long, happy and pleasant retirement and we hope to take the opportunity to welcome him back, here in Georgetown on holiday.
Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in proposing a toast to the good health and long life of Ambassador Zhang Limin and his dear wife Madame Liu Yiu.
Leave a Comment