Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Blaming China’s investments for Barbados ditching Queen is Sinophobia. What stopped UK from developing its former colony?

Blaming China’s investments for Barbados ditching Queen is Sinophobia. What stopped UK from developing its former colony?

The decision by Barbados to axe the British monarch as titular head of state has unleashed anti-China paranoia claiming malign influence from Beijing. This is the poverty of Cold War zero-sum thinking.
The former Caribbean colony simply can’t assert its independence from Britain; there must be a sinister explanation, so the backward reasoning goes.

However, an alternative explanation is more straightforward, and on the money, literally.

Barbados has joined several other Caribbean states which are benefiting from billions of dollars of Chinese government investments in the region. The investments are for infrastructure projects: airports, sea ports, roads, hospitals, hotels and telecoms.

This is part of China’s global economic development plans known as the Belt and Road Initiative or “New Silk Road” which have already galvanized vast swathes of Asia and Africa.

Chinese investment in the Caribbean and more generally Latin America is just part of a wider global story. And Barbados is just a small part of the Caribbean chapter.

When Barbados announced earlier this month that it was going to make itself a republic by the end of next year and henceforth remove Britain’s Queen Elizabeth as its symbolic head of state there was a palpable feeling of stunned shock.

The British monarchy and Downing Street said the move was up to the people of Barbados, but there was a sense of chagrin over the apparent rejection.

Politicians like Conservative lawmaker Tom Tugendhat have since followed up with claims that China is putting undue pressure on Barbados to snub Britain.

“China has been using infrastructure investment and debt diplomacy as a means of control,” he told the media, adding that the island state was “swapping a symbolic Queen… for an Emperor in Beijing.”

Tugendhat, who chairs the UK’s parliamentary foreign affairs committee, is an inveterate hawk espousing anti-China and anti-Russia views. He’s a Cold War throwback who views international relations through the prism of alleged malign activities by China and Russia undermining Western democracies, NATO and every other institution no doubt.

What exactly China is doing in Barbados that is supposed to be malign is not specified. It’s a matter of prejudice and innuendo that if China is investing billions in foreign countries then it must be for a pernicious agenda. In short, this is Sinophobia, which we see also in its counterpart of Russophobia.

When Chinese President Xi Jinping made a state visit to Caribbean nations in 2013 he reportedly signed agreements for $3 billion in development investments.

Since then, total Chinese state investment is reckoned to have soared with several more Caribbean countries joining the Belt and Road Initiative. In addition to Barbados, they include Trinidad and Tobago, Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Jamaica, Dominican Republic and Cuba.

Richard Bernal, a former Caribbean ambassador to the United States, is quoted as saying: “Chinese money became available and these countries were very happy to be able to borrow this money because they used it to build hospitals, build roads… It has generally developed a lot of goodwill.”

The fact is China has stepped in with much-needed development capital where former colonial power Britain is too broke to even take care of its own nation 6,000 kilometers away, and where the United States has a blighted history of invasions and bloody coups. (is it clear he refers to the region? Not Barbados in particular? I THINK SO)

Of course, Washington may be concerned that its presumed “backyard” is being revamped with Chinese foreign investment.

But it’s entirely reasonable for Beijing to expect countries benefiting from its financial aid to reciprocate by adhering to friendly policies, such as recognizing the One China Policy and repudiating for example the recognition of Taiwan as a separate state.

In other words, countries can be expected by Beijing to shun Washington’s hostility toward China and to chart a more independent line in foreign relations. That’s not malign. It’s called fair dues.

Barbados gained independence from Britain in 1966. Since then the British monarch remained as a symbolic head of state, similar to other nations such as Australia and Canada. But over the years, Barbados has been moving toward republican status.

A constitutional review advocated in 1998 that the island become a republic. China’s involvement is not something out of the blue either. Barbados signed a defense agreement with Beijing back in 2006.

A “symbolic” monarch is a relic of the past. For some Britons having their Queen as head of state in foreign nations may provide some nostalgia of former global glory.

But for the people of Barbados they are entitled to prioritize social and economic development in the here and now. If the investment comes from China and that gives Barbados the confidence to develop into a republic free from trappings of past British rule, then what is wrong with that? Nothing.

The only people who might take offense are empire-sentimentalists and incorrigible Cold Warriors who are compelled to find a sinister Chinese (or Russian plot) behind each and every development.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
×