Investments into Antigua and Barbuda over the past two decades by the Peoples
Republic of China have totaled close to $1 billion dollars and counting.
That’s according to the nation’s leader, Prime Minister Gaston Browne, speaking
in defense of the relationship between the two countries against the backdrop of an
article published last weekend in Newsweek Magazine which suggested that the
US Southern Command is growing concerned over the close ties that exist between
Antigua and Barbuda and other Caribbean territories with China.
But the prime minister countered their suggestion but noting that China has
become the ‘most important’ developmental partner’ for Antigua and Barbuda over
the pas two decades including under both ABLP and UPP administrations.
He described China’s investments into Antigua and Barbuda as ‘phenomenal’.
“Let us not forget that they funded the airport with an US$80 million loan; they
funded the cargo port expansion with another US$95 million; that’s half a billion
dollars from those two projects ad there are many others,” he recalled.
One other area where the Chinese have been assisting Antigua and Barbuda has
been in the area of agricultural production; teaching local farmers several new
techniques to improve their crops and to expand on the crops that they currently
grow. He added that there is now a team in the country carrying out such an
assignment at the moment.
He reminded the nation that China approved a $100 million dollar grant that will
finance the new housing development at Booby Alley with the remainder going to
Mongo Town in the St. John’s City East constituency.
Other investments by China include the buildings, originally constructed to house a
secondary school at Five Islands, which the current government re-purposed to be
the home of the University of the West Indies FIC.
It was China that also funded the construction of the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium,
now the country’s premiere sporting venue, which was gift from the Chinese
government.
PM Browne also pointed to the recent set of agreements signed between China and
Barbuda including a commitment to finance the re-piping exercise which he said
would be financed through a combination of grants and loans.
“China has helped Antigua and Barbuda in a significant way. If you were to take
away the investments by China into the country over the past two decades, we
would have not developed the way they we have,” he remarked.
The prime minister did not mince words in reference to two UPP officials – D
Gisele Isaac and Algernon ‘Serpent” Watts – who contributed to the Newsweek
article that seemed to suggest China has ulterior motives in its operations here in
Antigua and Barbuda.
He recalled that China’s benevolence was equally forthcoming under UPP and
ABLP administrations.
He repeated the government’s foreign policy position of ‘friends of all…enemies
of none’.
