Latest Articles about Caribbean

How U.S. Banks Push the Caribbean Toward China

Introduction The 14th Five-Year Plan adopted this past March has reaffirmed the significance of Renminbi (RMB) internationalization in China’s geopolitical ambitions (Gov.cn, March 13). Global RMB proliferation in cross-border trade would enhance China’s domestic financial security, which also makes it a key element of China’s... MORE

An Overlooked Source of Chinese Influence in Latin America

Introduction The People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) engagement in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is drawing increased scrutiny from U.S. policymakers. The International Liaison Department of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (ILD) (中共中央对外联络部, zhonggong zhongyang duiwai lianluo bu) is one of... MORE

Latin America Emerges as a Russian Theater of Operations

It has only recently become clear to analysts in the United States that Russia is playing a big role in Latin America to destabilize Washington’s alliance system and threaten US interests. Despite the costs involved in sustaining Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua, Russia’s three main “proxies”... MORE

Russian Navy Procures New Electronic Warfare Capabilities

Russia’s Armed Forces are continuing to develop and strengthen their Electronic Warfare (Radioelektronnaya Borba—REB/EW) capabilities. The General Staff sees this as an essential element in its efforts to adopt Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) competencies, as well as a force enabler... MORE

The PRC Bets on Climate Diplomacy in the Caribbean

Climate change has become a central battleground in the PRC’s bid to brand itself as a leading partner and spokesman for the developing world. Beijing has earmarked billions to fund initiatives aimed at reducing carbon, supporting green energy, and promoting climate change resilience across the... MORE

Russia’s Intermediate-Range Missile Production Challenge

After President Donald Trump’s stated decision to withdraw the United States from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, signed in 1987 by Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev (see EDM, October 25, 29), some experts asserted that Russia will now be free to deploy... MORE
Photo by Evan Kirby on Unsplash

Making Sense of China’s Caribbean Policy

While the world's attention focuses on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) connecting China with Eurasia and Africa, China is also making major investments in the Caribbean. In September 2016 the China Harbor Engineering Company (中国港湾工程有限责任公司) agreed to build a mega-port in Jamaica that would... MORE

Russia Building New Bases to Counter United States

Last week (October 7), the Russian Duma unanimously ratified an agreement signed in August 2015 with the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to indefinitely lease for free the Khmeimim airbase, near the port city Latakia, on the Syrian Mediterranean coast. Russian jets have been... MORE