File photo: Donald Ramotar. Photo: AFP

The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has concluded at a very important juncture in world history, and China's "win-win" approach in foreign contact has made a big difference to the Caribbean region, Donald Ramotar, former president of Guyana, told the Global Times in a recent interview.

The CPC and Chinese government have demonstrated their passion for peace and progress, not only within its borders, but also on a global scale. China has historically defended peace in the world. The Chinese people have recognized that peace is the most important condition for resolving all other global problems, said Ramotar.

I am sure that the decisions taken at the congress will go a far way in helping to resolve the many knotty issues of today, he noted.

Currently, the news cycle is being dominated by the military situation in Ukraine, and the massive sanctions by the US and its allies on Russia. These sanctions have led to a lose-lose situation in the world. That is why the eyes of the world will be on China at this time of the CPC's 20th National Congress, according to Ramotar. 

The former head of state said that China's achievements have been outstanding, and the path that the Chinese people have traversed in a historically short period of time is astounding. "China is the only country that has solved the problem of absolute poverty. This alone speaks volumes of the strength of the socialist system and the correctness of the policies of China." 

Ramotar told the Global Times that he has met with Chinese President Xi Jinping at least four times and was impressed by Xi's broad vision and deep solidarity with less developed countries. "Comrade Xi's willingness to share China's prosperity with the less fortunate countries of the world was a manifestation of China's international outlook and its approach to the burning issues of our day," said Ramotar.

Ramotar believes that President Xi's personal qualities have shone through, and his deep understanding of Marxist-Leninist theory has allowed him to guide the Party and the masses on the course to building socialism with Chinese characteristics.

"Comrade Xi has not only managed to keep the economy moving forward but has done much in reducing inequality among the people of the country. Under Xi's leadership, the civil and political rights of the people have been deepened and broadened. He is more than just a great theoretician but a master in putting theory into practice in every aspect of China's life," Ramotar suggested.

Ramotar said that he is impressed by the variety of ownership that exists in China. In the West and in Guyana there are many persons who feel that the private sector ownership of the means of production is the most efficient and important, but experience has proven this not to be true, he said.

"The Chinese model does not exclude any form of ownership and it has demonstrated that many forms of ownership can coexist and make a sterling contribution to society," he noted.

"China allows private ownership to flourish and gives full reign to people's initiatives. Therefore, all forms of legitimate ownership exist side by side in the country. That is a practice we need to learn from because due to ideological considerations and external pressures private sector ownership is often touted as the only economic organization to bring prosperity to countries," said Ramotar.

The former president said that over the years Caribbean countries have had very positive results in their relations with China. From their own experiences, they are aware that China's "win-win" approach has made a big difference in the region. 

"This positive experience has made the region much more independent. It has allowed Caribbean leaders to stand up to pressures from Western forces who constantly try to slander China and the contribution that China makes to the region," he said.

A Chinese medical team gives medical consultation to the local people in Latham, Guyana on February 6, 2022.Photo:Xinhua

It was most encouraging to see leaders in the region disregard the criticism of China, pointing to its positive role in the region. China's relations with the developing world are qualitatively different from those in the West as there are no strings attached and no onerous conditionality. The West's relations are always favorable to themselves and create systems of bondage for developing countries, he stressed.

"Over recent years indeed Western forces, including the media, have been trying desperately to besmirch the good name and intentions of China. This is the nature of imperialism. In a way this is an unintentional recognition of how China's 'win-win' policy and its relations with poor countries are promoting prosperity and therefore strengthening the sovereignty of developing countries," Ramotar told the Global Times.

This is why G7 countries have announced that they were creating a fund to counter China's influence and China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in developing countries - because they are aware of the tremendous potential of that project, he added.

On June 27, President Xi and his Guyanese counterpart, Irfaan Ali, exchanged congratulatory messages to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties. Xi pointed out that since the establishment of diplomatic ties 50 years ago, China-Guyana relations have seen significant development, with political mutual trust continuously deepening and practical cooperation yielding fruitful results.

"China's assistance is given without any strings attached. No demands are made on us to put us in a disadvantageous position. The results of our relations have always been win-win for China and Guyana, and make Guyana more self-reliant," said the former president. 

"These are factors that we cannot put a price tag on. They are priceless. I believe that the future of our relations looks really good and will grow stronger in the future," he said