CARICOM must exploit US, China geo-political rivalry

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad – CLR James once described Caribbean peoples as being amongst the most modern, they having been at the centre of the 19th century industrial revolution in Britain. Over the last week, the Caribbean was again centre stage to an evolving international environment as the super power of the 20th century, the United States, and the emerging power of the 21st century, the People’s Republic of China, came to Port-of-Spain and by extension the Caribbean (English, Spanish, French and Creole-speaking) to undertake strategic geo-political jockeying for positions. The US Vice President, Joe Biden, essentially said by his presence, that the Caribbean continues to be the American backyard, even if at times others are allowed to pass through. On the other side with a fair amount of quiet aggression, the emerging power came from the Far East to assert that “both China and Trinidad and Tobago belong to the developing world, we have similar views on international and regional issues and we hope to share views on the reform of the international system and climate change.”