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The nominee for U.S. ambassador to the Dominican Republic, Ms. Leah Francis Campos, in her opening remarks before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, stated unequivocally that, “I will work tirelessly to counter the Chinese Communist
Party’s influence in the Dominican Republic and throughout our hemisphere.”
This is exactly the sentiment that The Observer and its Editor-in-chief and Publisher have been expressing for many years.
It’s simple. The United States is the dominant force in this hemisphere, and to whom much is given much is required. Thus, with that power comes a responsibility for the U.S. that the countries of the Caribbean – nestled in its own backyard – receive appropriate aid and support, and to also ensure that the rival Chinese make no further inroads – or even erase the progress wherever it can.
The Chinese through their Belt and Road Initiative have a foothold almost everywhere, with only a few islands in the Caribbean now remaining with Taiwan – the Dominican Republic up until nine years ago was in that company.
We have been saying all along that although the United States has been diplomatically touting a ‘One China’ policy, there is a heavy dose of hypocrisy that accompanies that sentiment.
Taiwan is a democratic island – they have elections, and they are basically what we should be looking to as an example of what democracy should be.
The United States should have been supporting the islands of the Caribbean especially to stay with Taiwan; and additionally, it should give the kind of backing that China is willing to give to these islands, thus ensuring that the policies and influence of the United States reigns supreme in the region.
The Ambassador-Nominee, as indicated above, has talked about combating the influence of China not just in the Dominican Republic, but in the entire hemisphere.
This is what we have been saying all along – that the United States needs to step up to the plate. A couple billion dollars a year for the whole Caribbean region is a drop in the bucket, but it would still go a far way. Once the United States is giving aid and basically maintaining the influence in the region, then we believe it will effectively counter the Chinese influence.
China’s clear intention is to rule the world, and its people to control the wealth of every nation. The United States therefore needs to step forward assertively, and its words must be matched by actions – not just having a plethora of meetings with the Prime Ministers and other leaders of the region.
These meetings must result in action; they must show there is a master plan – a real plan to counter the effect of the Chinese in the region.
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