Guyana Commissions New Multi-Million-Dollar Park and Re-Commits to One China Policy

GEORGETOWN, Guyana – Guyana has reaffirmed its commitment to the One China policy as President Irfaan Ali Sunday commissioned the Guyana–China Friendship Park on the West Bank Demerara that the authorities say reflects the enduring friendship and expanding cooperation between the two countries.

The new upgraded Joe Veira Park commissioned on SundayThe venue formerly known as the Joe Veira Park, has been transformed into a multifunctional space featuring a lotus pond, a pavilion, a football field, basketball and tennis courts, jogging areas and a children’s play zone. Additional amenities include an open-air theatre, outdoor trampoline and accessible washroom facilities.

It was funded through a US$10.8 million grant from China and a government statement said it adds to a growing list of bilateral initiatives spanning infrastructure, health, agriculture and education.

In his feature address to the ceremony, President Ali reaffirmed Guyana’s commitment to the One-China policy, describing it as a central pillar of the country’s foreign relations and a reflection of mutual respect and trust between the two nations.

Beijing has insisted that countries acknowledge the One China policy given its official stance that there is is only one Chinese government, and that Taiwan, which it regards as a renegade province, is part of China.

While the PRC asserts this principle strictly, many countries, including the United States and a handful of Caribbean Community(CARICOM) maintain ties with Taiwan.

“This friendship park stands as a milestone on a road we are walking together into a future bright shared achievement. May it endure for generations and may it forever stand as a monument to cooperation and relation between Guyana and the People’s Republic of China,”  President Ali said, tracing the historical roots of Guyana–China ties to the arrival of Chinese immigrants in 1853 and highlighting their contribution to the country’s social and economic development.

Ali said the location of the park is fitting, “for it is on this very site, watered by the labour and sacrifice of those first indentured souls, that the human thread of connection between our two peoples was first woven”.

He noted that cooperation between Guyana and China has expanded over the decades to include infrastructure development, health, education, agriculture, and culture, with Chinese-supported projects playing a visible role in the country’s ongoing transformation.

The facility blends elements of Chinese architectural design with Guyana’s natural landscape, offering a space for public use while symbolising the enduring ties between the two countries. The central feature of the park design is a Guyana/China friendship monument which commemorates the long and ongoing friendship between Guyana and China.

China’s Ambassador to Guyana, Ying Yang, highlighted the shared people-focused approach of the two nations as seen in the park’s design.

“Today, this park stands as a tribute of the Chinese Government to Guyana’s 60th anniversary and a celebration of our long-lasting and strong friendship,” she said.

The upgraded park, which stands on lands once part of Plantation Meerzorg, was originally gifted to the State by the late Joseph Rudolph Vera and declared a public space in 1982.