Former diplomat urges China not to treat Caribbean same as Latin American nations
Beijing, July 24 – Former Caribbean diplomat Sir Ronald Sanders has told a China-Latin American Forum in the Chinese capital, Beijing, that âit would not be correct for China to place Caribbean countries in the same conditions as many Latin American nationsâ.{{more}}
The think-tank forum was organized to discuss âbusiness and investment co-operation between Latin America and the Caribbeanâ and âhow to advance holistic co-operationâ between the two areas.
Sanders argued that âwhile efforts at integration of Latin America and the Caribbean have started, they are at a very early stage of overcoming historical obstacles and impediments, and the smaller Caribbean economies continue to require special attentionâ.
A Senior Research Fellow at London University, Sanders argued that âin the last decade, most Caribbean countries have not enjoyed the same levels of economic growth, investment and trade as their Latin counterpartsâ, and any attempt to treat them âholisticallyâ with Latin American countries would place them at a disadvantage.
Sanders welcomed a call for more intense dialogue at the inter-governmental level between China and all of Latin America and the Caribbean to tackle global issues, but he stressed that maintaining relations at the Caribbean level to facilitate development and growth remains extremely important.
The Forum was organized by the China Foundation for International Studies and the Chinese Peopleâs Institute of Foreign Affairs. It was attended by Ministers and senior officials of the Chinese government, as well as representatives of major Chinese commercial companies and diplomats.
In his remarks, Sanders also called for Chinese companies that want to do business in the Caribbean to consider âjoint ventures with the local business community, as well as public-sector-private sector partnershipsâ. He said that such partnerships would give China a beneficial financial return over many years, while ensuring that the local business community also participates and receives benefits.
The think-tank forum concluded on July 23.
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