Ilfan Ali: China is an important development partner of Guyana. Our bilateral relations are very close. We respect each other very much. China has many opportunities in Guyana, not only for government projects, but also for more and more Chinese companies to participate in the construction of the private economy. We see more Chinese people interested in agriculture and hotel industry, as well as technological change and knowledge economy, as well as oil and gas fields. We also have an offshore natural gas project, and many Chinese companies have participated in the bidding. China has invested in many fields, but some fields will be more attractive in the future.

Host: China is the world's largest oil importer and also a major oil exploration country. Is there room for cooperation between the two countries in energy in the future?

Ilfan Ali: We will carry out energy cooperation with China and other countries in the future. First of all, we believe that fossil fuels will not be stopped immediately, but we must also strive for renewable energy. Guyana's forest area can store up to 19.5 billion tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. We are promoting a low-carbon development strategic framework. Renewable energy and combating climate change are important parts of our work. We are also formulating a national natural gas master plan, because natural gas can become an important transitional energy. We also have green hydrogen. China has always been fully involved. We continue to encourage China and other countries to fully participate in the construction of this international energy platform.

Distribution of oil and gas blocks in Guyana

Moderator: The green transformation you talked about will happen sooner or later, if not immediately. You launched the low-carbon development strategy 2030 in Guyana. We also know that China is striving to achieve the double-carbon goal. What do you think of the cooperation between the two countries in the transformation of green economy?

Ilfan Ali: I think cooperation is crucial. As I said before, China has technology, as well as capital and human resources, so it can accelerate the pace of investment in green energy suppliers, such as hydropower, solar energy and wind energy. What is a big problem for developing countries? It is the cost of these alternative energy sources. What China should do is to work globally and support these alternative energy initiatives. Guyana, for example, has great opportunities for cooperation in energy infrastructure construction.Editor/Ma Xue