David Jessop, a European Union expert on Caribbean matters, writes in his column “The View from Europe” on how China is fast advancing in aligning Caribbean states, with the most recent being the signing on of the Dominican Republic and of Trinidad & Tobago as the first country from the Caribbean to partner in China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
Jessop says: “The hope in Santo Domingo is that China, already the Dominican Republic’s second largest supplier of imported products, will now deliver significant investments in road, rail and energy infrastructure, as well as in agriculture and tourism. Although not confirmed, some reports suggest that the value of Chinese support could run to US$3.1bn.”
As is, the turnaround in China’s quest for an expanded role in the Caribbean happened during the Second China-Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) Ministerial Forum held in Santiago, Chile, in January 2018. The CELAC and China Joint Plan of Action for Cooperation on Priority Areas 2019-2021 released during the gathering made it clear that the PRC was ready to unfold at the regional and sub-regional level a range of programs to expand the Beijing relationship into many new areas.
In his remarks in “The View from Europe”, Jessop says that the absence of any alterative practical US support for the region other than for US-led renewable energy initiatives, and security measures largely intended to defend US Homeland Security, has opened doors for China to fill the void.
“China’s rise is of profound significance. It demonstrates that the world’s centre of gravity is relocating,” he writes.
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Caribbean Council
28 May 2018
