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The
Chinese comments came after Guyanese President Irfaan Ali said
his oil-rich nation would give the U.S. preferential treatment
over other countries after it pledged to respond forcefully if
neighboring Venezuela tries to annex Guyanese territory as it
has threatened.
The Chinese Embassy in Guyana posted on Facebook on Friday that
China has always “put China-Guyana Friendship first."
“We honor our commitment with concrete actions. As a matter of
fact, China has participated fully at the biggest economic and
social transformation in the history of Guyana. Facts and
figures speak louder than anything else,” the embassy said.
China cited its $1.4 billion in annual trade with Guyana and a
string of major infrastructure projects that Chinese firms are
undertaking, some secured by Chinese loans. These include the
new Demerara Harbor Bridge, China-Guyana Joe Vieria Park, six
regional hospitals and the East Coast Demerara road project.
After Rubio's visit to Guyana and meeting with Ali on Thursday,
he traveled to Suriname where he joked at a news conference
about the ruggedness of Guyana's airport road built with China's
help.
“They don’t do a bad job, they do a terrible job,” the U.S.
diplomat said of China’s projects abroad. “I just came from
Guyana, where we had to drive on a road the Chinese built. We
almost all had concussions, because the road was so bad. It was
terrible.”
Rubio also criticized China for bringing in their own workers to
work on projects abroad, adding that the country also wants “you
to borrow a bunch of money and then they hold it over your
head.”
However, Rubio noted that U.S. companies are not taking
advantage of investement opportunities in the region, echoing
similar remarks by Surinamese President Chan Santokhi.
Not all the countries are showing up," Santokhi said. "We are
inviting investors. My invitation to (Rubio) was that we need
the private sector of the United States."
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