UPDATE: In a statement issued on Friday morning, the US Embassy said: "The Embassy would like to set the record straight: contrary to recent US congressional testimony, the PRC has not built the biggest Embassy around the globe in The Bahamas."
THE CHINESE Embassy in The Bahamas has countered claims over the size of its embassy in the nation – and about its mission in The Bahamas.
Amid growing tensions between the US and China over influence in the region, two senior US generals warned the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday about what they called an “aggressive” expansion of Chinese influence.
General Glen VenHerck, commander of US Northern Command, warned of “economic coercion” in The Bahamas, saying China has built its largest embassy in the world here and had appointed an ambassador who “uses the information space to undermine us each and every day”.
He did, however, point out that the US has not had a permanent ambassador to The Bahamas since 2011 and said appointing one would “vastly help”.
However, Chinese Embassy spokesman counselor Cui Wei rejected the general’s claim yesterday, saying: “It cannot be further from the truth to suggest that China has built its largest embassy in the world in The Bahamas. We’re not even the largest Chinese Embassy in the Caribbean. Anyone who’s familiar with Nassau knows which Embassy is the biggest one on island.
“Nor do we agree with the characterisation of the Embassy’s work. The mission of the Chinese Embassy in The Bahamas is to promote friendly exchanges and mutual understanding between the two peoples and explore opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation. We’re proud of the fact that we work hard every day to increase the well-being of the Chinese and Bahamian peoples.”
General Laura Richardson, commander of US Southern Command, also told the committee that China “has expanded its ability to extract resources, establish port, manipulate governments through predatory investment practices, and build potential dual-use space facilities”.
Gen Richardson said: “We’ve got to pay more attention to this region. The proximity matters. They are on the 20-yard line of our homeland. We are in a neighbourhood, these are our neighbours, and we have got to pay attention to them.”
The US is also presently constructing its new embassy building on the corner of Shirley and East Streets, with completion due for October this year. In response to reports about the embassy in The Bahamas being the largest in the world, Ambassador Dai Qingli posted online: “What a compliment!”
Comments
ThisIsOurs 1 year, 1 month ago
"contrary to recent US congressional testimony, the PRC has not built the biggest Embassy around the globe in The Bahamas."
Lol. I literally just told a colleague that they have to be referring to the Pointe as the embassy because the actual Chinese embassy isnt all that big in comparison to say the property the US Embassy sits on. The fly in the ointment is I'm pretty certain US Northern command knows much more about China's spy capabilities, the activities they're conducting and where than we will ever know, irrespective of what parrots and other birds sit outside the building.
One nations spy is another nations decorated hero. One nations torture program is another nations national security.
There probably is no black and white
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