Артур Чуң: Гайананың тұңғыш президенті

President of Guyana from 1970 to 1980

Arthur Raymond Chung, OE (10 January 1918 – 23 June 2008) was a Guyanese politician who was the 1st President of Guyana from 1970 to 1980. He was the first ethnic Chinese (Chinese Caribbean) to be head of state in a non Asian country. A leader in Guyana's fight for independence during the British colonial era, he was honoured with Guyana's highest national honour, the Order of Excellence (O. E.).

Chung was born into a Chinese Guyanese family at Windsor Forest at West Coast Demerara in British Guiana; he was the youngest of Joseph and Lucy Chung's eight children.

When Guyana became a republic under the leadership of Forbes Burnham in 1970, the Guyanese National Assembly elected Chung President, making him the first President of Guyana; he took office on 17 March 1970. In addition, the powers of President Arthur Chung was the Commander in Chief of Guyana's Armed Forces and chancellor of the Orders of Guyana. Ten years later, a constitutional revision transformed the presidency into an executive position, and Burnham succeeded Chung as President During his time as President of Guyana, the office was that of a ceremonial head of state with the powers of the Governor General of Guyana, while Prime Minister Forbes Burnham was the head of government. During his presidency, on June 27, 1972, Guyana established formal diplomatic relations with China, making Guyana the first English speaking Caribbean country to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China. In 1977, President Chung of Guyana visited China and met with officials and ambassadors.

In 2015, it was announced that the Guyana International Conference Centre (GICC) would be renamed the "Arthur Chung Convention Centre" to commemorate President Arthur Chung, and newly elected President David A. Granger stated: "I would like the first President in this country to be remembered. this is the 45th anniversary year of becoming a Republic and Mr Chung was the first person of Chinese descent who was President in a non Asian country and it was historic." After undergoing rehabilitative work, the Arthur Chung Convention Centre was recommissioned in June 2018.