China’s call for Guyana-Venezuela negotiations on border negotiations “improper and out of place”- Jagdeo

Last Updated on Friday, 18 April 2025, 21:06 by Writer

Guyana on Thursday assailed China for calling for negotiations with Venezuela to settle the decades-long border controversy over the Essequibo Region, but at the same Georgetown reaffirmed its support for the One China policy.

“We believe that the matter will be settled definitively at the ICJ (International Court of Justice) and for the Charge to now say we have to go back to bilateral discussion is improper and out of place because it’s not respectful of our national policy,” Mr Jagdeo said in response to a question from Demerara Waves Online News.

Although President Irfaan Ali and the Chinese government appeared to have been at public odds over his pledge of “different and preferential treatment” to the US in exchange for support in the areas of defence, security and broader development, the Vice President said there was no shift in Guyana’s position that there is One China rather than two that include the breakaway province of Taiwan. “The One China policy is the policy of the government of Guyana. It’s the policy of most of the world, including that of the United States of America and I don’t see that changing now,” he said.

In early February 2021, the Guyana government had confirmed a United States embassy statement that Georgetown had approved the establishment of a Taiwan trade and investment promotion office in Guyana, but in less than 24 hours had rescinded that decision after diplomatic protests by Beijing.

Earlier Thursday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected Charge D’Affaires of the Chinese Embassy Huang Rui’s call for Guyana and Venezuela to enter into negotiations to settle the controversy over the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Tribunal Award over the land boundary between the two countries.

The Guyana government also questioned China’s silence on Venezuela’s plan to hold gubernatorial and legislative council elections on May 25 for ‘Guayana Esequiba’, its name for the Essequibo Region which continues to be under Guyanese control and occupation.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has taken note that there has been no comment from the Government of the People’s Republic of China on the blatant announcement by the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela that it intends to conduct elections on 25 May 2025 for a governor and legislative council of “Guayana Esequiba State”, which is the name Venezuela has given to Guyana’s Essequibo region. “This is a clear violation of Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the ministry said.

Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud was even more pointed in his posture on China, urging that Asian political and economic power not to act in the interest of Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro. “China needs to be principled in its position on respecting Guyana’s territorial integrity and not appease Maduro’s serial violation of international laws,” Mr Persaud said on his Facebook page.