It is clearly my first duty to express on behalf of myself, my wife, and my colleagues, our deep appreciation of the warmth of the reception we have received here in your great republic. As we are the representatives of a small state located more than halfway around the world, we see in our reception another expression of your concern for the welfare and security of other states, however small, of the Third World. If that is my first duty, my second is to bring you greetings from my Party, the People’s National Congress, and the Government and people of Guyana. Although beset by many problems, my people, whose ancestors came from Africa and Asia, including China, Europe, and America, are pursuing with high confidence the rapid social and economic transformation and development of our country.
It has long been my wish to visit with you and to study at first hand those strategies of development based on self-reliance which, since the revolution, have so significantly transformed the lives of your people. It is the same goal of national self-reliance which also inspires my own Party, the People’s National Congress.
The People’s National Congress is a socialist Party committed to the task of bringing to an end hunger, poverty, ignorance, unemployment, and exploitation and of building in Guyana a society in which there is equality of opportunity for all based on ability, aptitude, and the society’s needs and priorities. Hitherto, Guyana, as a colonial outpost of imperialism, has been in the grasp of the capitalist system with its emphasis on privilege and wealth. The People’s National Congress, as the paramount agency in Guyana, is now embarked on mobilizing the nation in every sphere in support of the programs through which the foundations for socialism are being laid.
In our efforts to develop our own country, and to devise new structures for economic development and cooperation with other developing countries, we are confident that we can look to the continued support of your country under the wise leadership of Chairman Mao and the Communist Party of the People’s Republic of China.
We are convinced that the experiences of the heroic people of China under the leadership of the Communist Party led by Chairman Mao hold valuable lessons not only for Guyana but for all the peoples of the developing world, struggling to reconstruct their economies and societies after decades of imperialist and neo-colonialist oppression, and who seek in their various ways to tread the path towards socialism.
The victories of the Chinese people are not to be considered merely victories of China alone, but are also victories of all mankind struggling for a better world, particularly those who live in the developing countries who see the relevance of the Chinese experience to their own conditions.
The invaluable support of the Chinese people in establishing a new world order free from superpowers and spheres of influence, a world in which the progressive forces of mankind can shape a future worthy of man, is understood and appreciated by increasing numbers of people, not only in Guyana, but also throughout the Third World.
The manner in which assistance is given by the People’s Republic of China, consistent with the Five Principles, is a lesson for others to follow. The People’s National Congress, as well as the people of Guyana, for their part, will do everything to ensure that the bonds of friendship and trade between our countries are not merely maintained but strengthened considerably.
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