The Tribune

By RICARDO WELLS 

Tribune Staff Reporter in BEIJING

rwells@tribunemedia.net

BEIJING – The intense opposition to Chinese-backed investments throughout Latin America, the Caribbean and the Bahamas was yesterday dismissed by a senior official in China, who maintained that all such operations are sanctioned on the premise of being mutually beneficial to all sides.

“Our objective is not to replace some countries or to engage in vicious competition, so I think (those) concerns are not necessary,” said Han Jing, counsellor for the Department of Latin America and Caribbean, an auxiliary office in the People’s Republic of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Addressing a small cohort of regional reporters in Beijing for a month long programme, Mr Jing pushed back against notions China was attempting to impose its ideals and socialist philosophies onto small, developing countries it has looked to aid.

Detailing the history of China’s efforts in the region in the wake of its “Opening Up Policy,” Mr Jing insisted it was a matter of “mind-set,” calling on persons throughout the region to view trade relations between China as they are – a “win-win” for all sides.

He told reporters: “We should not and must not view our relations through the lens of competition.

“China has always been committed through peaceful development and win-win results. The win-win results is the right approach and philosophy and we should look at this probably.”

In addition to developments it has authorised in the Bahamas, the Chinese government, through various subsidiaries and state-sponsored projects, has facilitated or caused the creation of dozens of major projects throughout the region.

In Trinidad and Tobago, China signed off on a major, but controversial arms sale in 2014.

The sale was met by intense opposition, as many speculated over whether sale was, in fact, essential to the development of Trinidad and Tobago.

That was followed by an agreement to purchase a long-range maritime patrol vessel facilitated by Chinese loans. At the time of the move, it was the first sale of its kind in the region.

Meanwhile, in Jamaica, Chinese workers completed a $720 million four-lane highway connecting the north and south sections of the island - the single biggest Chinese investment in the Caribbean. 

According to Jamaican reports, as a return for the investment, Chinese companies were granted the right to build three luxury hotels on land granted along the road and manage the roadway’s toll pass.

The project offered little to no job opportunities for Jamaicans, who at the time of the deal were faced with unemployment rates up to 13 per cent, according to reports.

Concerns also arose after developments in Suriname, Barbados and Dominica.

Responding to the concerns being raised in the region, Mr Jing on Monday said: “China’s cooperation with other countries is based on whether or not such cooperation can bring common interest to our people and our respective countries.”

When asked directly how China benefits from its efforts in the region, he said: “I think our benefit comes at all levels. From the political front, we have gained supportive partners on the international stage.”

He continued: “We have benefited a lot from the partnerships from an economic sense. (Latin America and Caribbean) products are favoured by our people and China’s investment, technology and projects in the Caribbean is also beneficial to (regional) countries.”

This comes on the heels of a Tribune report which delved into $200 million development of The Pointe in downtown Nassau, owned by China Construction America. 

The report raised questions of a possible breach in the terms under which the project is to be carried out in relation to the ratio of foreign workers to Bahamian. 

Dozens of Chinese construction workers pour on to the site daily but the Bahamians who should be working along with them are virtually nowhere to be seen. On Friday our photographers monitored who went on to the site and with the exception of three or four Bahamians and a guard at the gates of the development, everyone else appeared to be Chinese.

Under the terms of the heads of agreement signed with the project’s developers, 70 per cent of the workforce is supposed to be Bahamian and at the “peak” of construction that number should be about 200 people. Government officials have said they will look into the matter. In February, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said CCA was living up to the worker ratio component of the agreement. 

CCA was also the general contractor for the Baha Mar resort in Cable Beach. The multi-million-dollar Thomas A Robinson National Stadium was facilitated through a gift from China and built by Chinese labourers.

Chinese assistance was also used to construct the Airport Gateway Project in Nassau and the North Abaco Port Project.