China is well-known for its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) which currently spans almost the entirety of the Eurasian and African continents. However, it is less well known that it is also making inroads in the Caribbean region. This is highly significant from a geopolitical perspective, given that this region has long been known as ‘America’s back yard’. Now however, it is increasingly becoming America’s soft underbelly. For now, it is too early to say whether China is strengthening its presence in the Caribbean as a ‘tit-for-tat’ for America’s naval patrols in the South China Sea. But should Beijing wish to up the ante at some point, Washington should wonder why it slept when China developed a critical strategic foothold right under America’s nose.
Willem Oosterveld wrote a contribution to The Economist on this topic. It can be found here.
Photo via Flickr.
Experts
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