The Chinese statement was brief, and to the point: At the invitation of Premier Wen Jiabao, Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas Perry Christie will pay an official visit to China from August 15th to 21st. And, so it is today as we reflect on the Chinaﾴs growing power in the world, the extension of its reach, and its impact on the Caribbean, inclusive of The Bahamas.
As the attentive public knows, Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Perry G. Christie, and a contingent comprised of other Cabinet ministers, and a crew of ﾠbureau- and technocrats are today on an official visit to ﾠThe Peopleﾴs Republic of ﾠChina. While there, they will be engaged in a mix of touristic and official functions.
As reported, the official delegation includes the Minister of Foreign Affairs & The Public Service, the Honourable Fred Mitchell; the Minister of Financial Services & Investment, the Honourable Allyson Maynard Gibson; the Minister of State for Finance, the Honourable James Smith and the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, Mr. Ronald Thompson. ﾠIn addition, various diplomatic and technical officers of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs both from New Providence and relevant posts overseas arrived in Beijing prior to the delegation.
While in China, the Prime Minister and delegation are expected to hold meetings with Chinese officials at all levels and will be hosted to several state and official events. ﾠThe official delegation will return from the State Visit to China on Monday 23rd August.
As most political observers now agree, it is quite apparent that Beijing appears to have ambitious plans for bringing the Caribbean into its orbit. It is also evident that The Peopleﾴs Republic of China is succeeding in its aim is to displace Taiwan in the region and this comes at a time of China’s aggressive reach across the Pacific and into the Caribbean.
In this regard, it is interesting to note that The Bahamas, another CARICOM member, appears to have benefited tremendously from its decision to switch allegiance from Taiwan to the PRC. The island nation has been able to attract the Hong Kong-based shipping conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa, whose owner Li Ka-shing is known to have close connections with the political and military leadership in Beijing.
The Peopleﾴs Republic of China is engaged in a high-stakes struggle for power and influence in the world. As its economic might expands, so does its interests and engagement with any number of countries around the world, inclusive of the Caribbean.
As experience reveals, there are very many mini and micro-nation states which are currently ﾠlining up for their share of Chinese money and investments.
Indeed, even as The Bahamas gets set to receive its share of Chinese largesse, other Caribbean states are also getting theirs. These include states as diverse and different as Cuba, Dominica, and The Bahamas.
In the instance of Cuba, we learn that its relations with The Peopleﾴs Republic have been depicted as involving a sense of ﾓsolidarity.ﾒ ﾠWe venture that this would have something to do with their lingering allegiance to socialism.
Indeed, as recent as Thursday, May 20, 2004, there is a report to the effect that a Chinese Communist Party delegation expressed solidarity with Cuban leader Fidel Castro as he confronts a mounting US embargo.
In this regard, it is interesting to note that the Chinese were committed to the consolidation of fraternal links between it and that Caribbean nation.
And, even more interestingly, while China has taken a cautious line on investment in Cuba and shelved plans to finance two major hotels in 2002. But it has sought deeper military cooperation with visits by several senior Chinese military leaders.
In the case of Dominica, the suggestion is that it has emerged as one of ﾠthe latest pawns in the continuing expansion of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in the Caribbean and Central America, at the expense of Taiwan. In fiscal year 2003, the Caribbean island had a budget of $123 million with a deficit of $14 million. The shortfall is predicted to grow to $24 million in this fiscal year.
When we take this fact into consideration, and stack it up against other facts, we get a very clear picture as to what can happen, when a rich giant passes by, with gifts for all and sundry. Note well, that in the Dominican case, China offered that micro-state ﾠmoney totaling approximately $170 million. To put the matter as delicately as possible, that’s a huge amount of money for a small country with a population of 70,000 people only.
And, of course, the beat goes on for The Bahamas, itself a mini-state of some 320,000 souls, half of them children.
The Chinese, as we have come to learn, will continue to assist The Bahamas and other Caribbean nations in any number of ﾠways, some of them social, others cultural.
But, they should always remember the truth in the adage that there is no free lunch. They should also remember, as Bahamians always say, ﾓwhat side their bread is buttered onﾒ.
The explicit reminder here is for The Bahamas and ﾠits sister nations in the Caribbean to remember where, which is in the Americas, and on the door-steps of The United States of America. The Chinese know this all to well. That is why they come bringing gifts.
Editorial, The Bahama Journal
