Chinese influence in our backyard

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We were on a cruise through the Caribbean last week and I was struck by the number of Chinese financed projects on these islands.
Our country had better power up some diplomacy and some dollars unless we want to see China establish a permanent presence in our hemisphere.
Unless we act, it's only a matter of time before China trades some impoverished and tourist dependent island nation debt forgiveness in return for a naval base.
Don't think so?
The Chinese are playing the long game and we can ill afford to allow them to gain a foothold in our backyard.
Let's revisit the largely rhetorical Caribbean Basin Initiative and make some substantive contributions to these many small islands.
To allow China to make inroads unchallenged is foolish at best.
Without some efforts by our government, there will be at least one Chinese base within the next decade.
A fearless prediction on my part, but one predicated upon what China has done elsewhere, as in Africa.
 
It's already happened, it's too late. They have SO MUCH MONEY that there's really no fighting it.
 
Them gaining more than a financial foot-hold in any part of the world is closely watched.

The likelihood of them gaining a naval base within shooting distance of us is non-existent.
 
Originally Posted by TTK
How could you tell they were Chinese financed projects?


In no Caribbean island is Chinese calligraphy a part of the local dialect.
 
The U.S. has been a super power for less than 150 years, a mere drop in the ocean of time. History has shown many power shifts over the centuries. The writing is on the wall.
 
In the 1980's the fear was that Japan was poised to buy up the whole world. That didn't happen.

How would China resupply this base while we control the Panama Canal? The US is building ten new GHW Bush class aircraft carriers and the other ships to go with them. Two or three of them could obliterate any Caribbean island in half an hour.

Originally Posted by fdcg27
Originally Posted by TTK
How could you tell they were Chinese financed projects?

In no Caribbean island is Chinese calligraphy a part of the local dialect.

Did the signs say "This Hotel Proudly Financed by Central Bank of China", or "Welcome Chinese Tourists" ? My bet is the latter.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by mk378
Did the signs say "This Hotel Proudly Financed by Central Bank of China", or "Welcome Chinese Tourists" ? My bet is the latter.


Curious. How big is the Chinese middle-class now?
 
Originally Posted by mk378
In the 1980's the fear was that Japan was poised to buy up the whole world. That didn't happen.

How would China resupply this base while we control the Panama Canal? The US is building ten new GHW Bush class aircraft carriers and the other ships to go with them. Two or three of them could obliterate any Caribbean island in half an hour.

Originally Posted by fdcg27
Originally Posted by TTK
How could you tell they were Chinese financed projects?

In no Caribbean island is Chinese calligraphy a part of the local dialect.

Did the signs say "This Hotel Proudly Financed by Central Bank of China", or "Welcome Chinese Tourists" ? My bet is the latter.

LOL,at least you are smart enough to realize the possibilities.
 
The U.S is broke from decades of war without profit. Korea,Vietnam, decades in the middle east, Africa and Afghanistan
 
Originally Posted by mk378
In the 1980's the fear was that Japan was poised to buy up the whole world. That didn't happen.

How would China resupply this base while we control the Panama Canal? The US is building ten new GHW Bush class aircraft carriers and the other ships to go with them. Two or three of them could obliterate any Caribbean island in half an hour.

Originally Posted by fdcg27
Originally Posted by TTK
How could you tell they were Chinese financed projects?


In no Caribbean island is Chinese calligraphy a part of the local dialect.


Did the signs say "This Hotel Proudly Financed by Central Bank of China", or "Welcome Chinese Tourists" ? My bet is the latter.


Right, and any well equipped base could obliterate a carrier task force in half an hour, or at least force a retreat with serious losses.
I think that we minimize or ignore the Chinese threat in the Caribbean at our peril.
The Japanese did appear posed to take over the world in the 1980s and that never quite happened, but the Japanese were never a military threat.
The Chinese are and are clearly intent upon taking on our country.
Better to deal with the threat now rather than to allow it to grow into something we can't easily counter.
To the poster who wrote that China won't be able to gain a naval base within shooting distance of us, I'd ask why not?
These islands are sovereign nations and can do as they wish. In the absence of any American initiative, why wouldn't some align themselves with a nation that gives them tangible investment?
In terms of capital, China has nowhere near the borrowing capacity of the US, since everyone including the Chinese want US dollars, so we do have the resources to counter any Chinese investment.
We can act now or we can wait for a desperate situation. It'll come to that if we let it.
 
The west has been weakening significantly this century. I don't think we'll ever see Chinese cultural hegemony like the west in the 20th century, no one really likes China just their money. A lot of those banana republics have leaders who don't care about their citizens but just want to get rich.

In terms of military strength, volunteers will always fight harder than conscripts. How long do you think conscripts will fight for socialism in the 21st century? Why hasn't China just invaded Taiwan yet? There's a reason they use hard power instead of military force, they have a huge army but never use it because it sucks.
 
mk378 said:
How would China resupply this base while we control the Panama Canal? ]

You're kidding, right?
Given China's vast shipping capacity, sending container ships the long was around would be no problem at all.
They'd have no need of the canal.
 
Nothing new here. Chinese have been investing in real estate for many years. Some cities like Seattle and Vancouver B.C. have had huge Chinese investments. Hotels, condos, etc.
 
Originally Posted by fdcg27
We were on a cruise through the Caribbean last week and I was struck by the number of Chinese financed projects on these islands.
Our country had better power up some diplomacy and some dollars unless we want to see China establish a permanent presence in our hemisphere.
Unless we act, it's only a matter of time before China trades some impoverished and tourist dependent island nation debt forgiveness in return for a naval base.
Don't think so?
The Chinese are playing the long game and we can ill afford to allow them to gain a foothold in our backyard.


Sort of like the American presence in China's backyard. South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Philippines.
smile.gif
 
Originally Posted by gathermewool
Originally Posted by mk378
Did the signs say "This Hotel Proudly Financed by Central Bank of China", or "Welcome Chinese Tourists" ? My bet is the latter.


Curious. How big is the Chinese middle-class now?


420 million. More than the population of the USA.
 
It's nothing that a few thoughts and prayers won't help.

But seriously, if any of these islands decide to act funny, we can always bring democracy and freedom to them to fix things.
 
Originally Posted by fdcg27
We were on a cruise through the Caribbean last week and I was struck by the number of Chinese financed projects on these islands.
Our country had better power up some diplomacy and some dollars unless we want to see China establish a permanent presence in our hemisphere.
Unless we act, it's only a matter of time before China trades some impoverished and tourist dependent island nation debt forgiveness in return for a naval base.
Don't think so?
The Chinese are playing the long game and we can ill afford to allow them to gain a foothold in our backyard.
Let's revisit the largely rhetorical Caribbean Basin Initiative and make some substantive contributions to these many small islands.
To allow China to make inroads unchallenged is foolish at best.
Without some efforts by our government, there will be at least one Chinese base within the next decade.
A fearless prediction on my part, but one predicated upon what China has done elsewhere, as in Africa.



This has been going on for over 20 years. For example the largest population of mainland Chinese in Central/S. America can be found in Panama City, Panama
 
Originally Posted by PimTac
Nothing new here. Chinese have been investing in real estate for many years. Some cities like Seattle and Vancouver B.C. have had huge Chinese investments. Hotels, condos, etc.



California coast as a whole has heavy Chinese investment in REO. Why else do people think prices have been rising so high in the western states?
 
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