Chinese Investors Reap Lucrative Rewards in Guyana While United States Expected to Bear Defense Burden

By Randy Gopaul

Guyana is at a crossroads, caught between two global powers. As Venezuela escalates its threats over the Essequibo region, the Guyanese government turns to the United States for defense and protection. But when it comes to business, investment, and economic opportunities, it is China that gets preferential treatment, while American investors, including Guyanese from the diaspora, find themselves shut out.

This imbalance is impossible to ignore. Chinese companies dominate Guyana’s biggest infrastructure projects, securing billion-dollar contracts while American businesses face endless bureaucratic hurdles. The Amaila Falls Hydropower Project was awarded to China Railway First Group, despite feasibility concerns. The New Demerara Harbour Bridge went to China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) with little transparency in the bidding process. Even the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) expansion, plagued by cost overruns and contract breaches, remains under the control of China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC). While American firms; some of them owned by Guyanese expatriates eager to invest in their homeland—struggle for a fair shot, Chinese businesses walk away with the biggest prizes.

The disparity extends beyond large-scale contracts. Chinese-owned businesses now dominate Guyana’s retail and supermarket industry, with hundreds of Chinese-run supermarkets operating across the country. Meanwhile, Guyanese-American and local business owners face steep challenges when trying to establish themselves, encountering delays and restrictions that their Chinese counterparts seem to avoid. Even in land allocation, Chinese firms have secured large mining, logging, and agricultural leases, while local and diaspora investors are left fighting for scraps.

Yet, while Guyana rolls out the red carpet for China, it relies on the United States to defend its sovereignty. With Venezuela aggressively pushing its claim to Essequibo, the U.S. has increased military cooperation with Guyana, conducting joint training exercises, surveillance missions, and intelligence-sharing to deter aggression. Both the Biden and Trump administrations have repeatedly reaffirmed their commitment to protecting Guyana, while the U.S. military monitors Venezuelan movements and stands as a deterrent to any hostile action.

China, on the other hand, has remained silent. Despite being deeply embedded in Guyana’s economy, Beijing has offered no diplomatic support in the Essequibo dispute. It continues its business as usual, profiting from lucrative contracts while avoiding any confrontation with Venezuela, a country with which it has long-standing ties.

This arrangement is neither sustainable nor fair. Guyanese leadership cannot continue depending on the United States for security while handing the country’s economic future to China. It is time to level the playing field, ensuring that American businesses, including Guyanese in the diaspora, receive fair access to investment opportunities. If the U.S. is expected to stand as Guyana’s protector, its citizens should not be treated as second-class investors in the country they defend.

Guyana must rethink its approach before it finds itself in a dangerous trap, militarily reliant on the U.S. while economically entangled with a China that offers no security guarantees. If the government truly values national sovereignty, it must stop sidelining the very people, both in Guyana and in the diaspora, who have the greatest stake in the country’s success.