{"id":194714,"date":"2024-01-29T20:56:26","date_gmt":"2024-01-30T00:56:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=194714"},"modified":"2024-01-29T20:57:12","modified_gmt":"2024-01-30T00:57:12","slug":"opinion-pm-browne-strikes-controversial-deals-with-china-economic-powerhouse-or-useful-idiots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/opinion-pm-browne-strikes-controversial-deals-with-china-economic-powerhouse-or-useful-idiots\/","title":{"rendered":"OPINION: PM Browne Strikes Controversial Deals with China: Economic Powerhouse or ‘Useful Idiots’?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne Strikes Controversial Deals with China: Economic Powerhouse or ‘Useful Idiots’?<\/strong><\/p>

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As Prime Minister Gaston Browne returns from his weeklong visit to China, one might wonder if he’s onto something with his economic powerhouse concept, or if he and his delegation are merely perceived as a group of Useful Idiots. It’s up to you, the reader, to decide.<\/p>\n

The Agreements are announced gradually while the Prime Minister and his delegation are still away in China (They have since returned). These updates seem designed to keep the populace motivated and detractors off balance.<\/p>

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Details regarding the development, timing, and origins of these agreements remain murky. There’s no mention of them in Cabinet Meeting Notes, nor were there announcements of a planned trip to China on Pointe Radio or ABS. It seems no one deemed it necessary to inform the country of these developments until after the agreements were inked. We’re left with scant information, devoid of crucial specifics.<\/p>

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Prime Minister Browne’s ambition to transform Antigua and Barbuda into an economic powerhouse may hold promise, but at what expense? \u00a0What benefit does Antigua and Barbuda gets out of an agreement which allows China, the Country with until recently the worlds largest population to have its Citizens travel in into Antigua and Barbuda visa free.\u00a0 Where and when these Chinese will be vetted?<\/p>\n

The agreements include:<\/p>

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  1. Agreement of Mutual Visa Exemption<\/li>\n
  2. Agreement on Maritime Transport<\/li>\n
  3. MOU on Jointly Accelerating the Formulation of the Cooperation Plan on the Belt and Road Initiative<\/li>\n
  4. MOU\/agreement with Alibaba Damo Academy and Hospitals for the provision of equipment for early cancer screening and digital health, along with AI-powered tools for doctors. The agreement also outlines a framework for identifying chronic diseases.<\/li>\n
  5. MOU on Exchange and Cooperation in the field of Economic Development<\/li>\n
  6. MOU on a Water Rehabilitation Project<\/li>\n
  7. MOU\/agreement for the provision of equipment for the Port of St. John\u2019s to aid in the Anti-Narcotics Laboratory Project funded by China.<\/li>\n
  8. An agreement between the China Media Group (CMG) and the Antigua and Barbuda Broadcasting Services (ABS) aimed at strengthening development and cooperation.<\/li>\n
  9. MOU\/agreement between Zhejiang International Studies University and UWI Five Islands Campus in Antigua and Barbuda. Signatory: Hon. E.P. Chet Greene<\/li>\n
  10. MOU between Hangzhou Normal University and Antigua and Barbuda. Signatory: Hon. Sir Molwyn Joseph<\/li>\n
  11. MOU on strengthening development cooperation and promoting the implementation of the Global Development Initiative.<\/li>\n
  12. Viewing of Aircrafts for consideration to be added to LIAT 2020 fleet.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    In the absence of concrete details, I’ll refrain from speculating on the meaning or implications of these agreements, though I’ll provide some context:<\/p>\n

    Unlike the West, China operates on a planned economy, where everything, from family size to educational objectives, is meticulously planned. This approach, part of the Network Effect, has contributed to China’s rise as a global superpower.<\/p>

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    How did we arrive at this point?<\/p>

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    Communism, akin to institutional corruption, persists in various forms, whether in the former USSR, now Russia, China, or Cuba, with leaders occupying the upper echelons.<\/p>\n

    Prime Minister Gaston Browne’s pursuit of an economic powerhouse concept marks a significant departure from the demonization of communism and socialism in Antigua and Barbuda during the 1970s. Today, the country finds itself forging alliances with the world’s largest communist nation, a stark contrast to past attitudes.<\/p>\n

    As the Caribbean Liberation Movement gained momentum, figures like VC Bird Sr. expressed apprehension, observing the destabilization of regimes like Michael Manley’s Jamaica. The Maurice Bishop tragedy in Grenada further fueled concerns. These geopolitical shifts coincided with Richard Nixon’s historic visit to China, initiating what came to be known as Ping Pong Diplomacy, wherein the US began engaging with China economically while maintaining ideological differences.<\/p>\n

    In the late 1970s, Chinese students began studying in US universities, with over 100,000 eventually passing through American institutions, many specializing in advanced research and science. While some remained in the US, a significant number returned to China, contributing to its development.<\/p>\n

    The transfer of Hong Kong to China in 1997, after 156 years of British rule, further bolstered China’s economic prowess, with Hong Kong serving as Asia’s financial hub.<\/p>\n

    These converging factors, compounded by the Network Effect, propelled China from relative poverty to global prominence.<\/p>\n

    However, China now faces economic challenges, with slowing growth, mounting debt among real estate developers, and high youth unemployment. Many young Chinese, like their counterparts in Antigua and Barbuda, grapple with disillusionment, their once-promising futures now uncertain.<\/p>\n

    China seeks new markets and opportunities to address its unemployment crisis, evident in Agreement No. 1. \u00a0Agreement of Mutual Visa Exemption<\/strong> eliminates the need for visas and work permits for Chinese citizens entering, working, and residing in Antigua and Barbuda. This agreement may explain the influx of Chinese students attending in-distinguish schools and are no longer limiting their attendance to US elite Universities. Antiguan students studying at Monroe College in New York would have encountered Chinese students studying tourism in Monroe\u2019s Culinary and Tourism degree program.<\/p>\n

    The tourism industry is Antigua and Barbuda bread and butter. Quite often we give up a lot in the name of employment growth in the Tourism sector. \u00a0With China\u2019s economic slowdown, Antigua and Barbuda seems poised to be the new employment opportunity frontier for the disaffected and unemployed Chinese youths. In conclusion, while Prime Minister Gaston Browne’s economic vision holds potential, further examination of the remaining agreements is necessary to fully grasp their implications; and who will be the beneficiaries.<\/p>\n

    \u1427<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne Strikes Controversial Deals with China: Economic Powerhouse or ‘Useful Idiots’? As Prime Minister Gaston Browne returns from his weeklong visit to China, one might wonder if he’s onto something with his economic powerhouse concept, or if he and his delegation are merely perceived as a group of Useful […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":194715,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-194714","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nOPINION: PM Browne Strikes Controversial Deals with China: Economic Powerhouse or 'Useful Idiots'? - Antigua News Room<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/opinion-pm-browne-strikes-controversial-deals-with-china-economic-powerhouse-or-useful-idiots\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"OPINION: PM Browne Strikes Controversial Deals with China: Economic Powerhouse or 'Useful Idiots'?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne Strikes Controversial Deals with China: Economic Powerhouse or ‘Useful Idiots’? 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