China is expanding its territory on a small Caribbean island considered to be in the “backyard” of the United States, according to leaked documents.
Antigua, about 350 miles from the U.S. Virgin Islands, was taken over by China with the aim of turning it into China’s “economic zone.” newsweek report.
Documents reviewed by the outlet show:
This natural paradise on the island of Antigua, where authorities will study Xi Jinping’s ideas, is about to be demolished to make way for a Chinese-run special economic zone. According to documents reviewed by newsweek It will have its own customs and immigration procedures, shipping ports, dedicated airlines, and will be able to issue passports. It would establish a business offering everything from ROM logistics to cryptocurrencies, facial surgery to “virology.”
What was once considered America’s “backyard” is rapidly turning into China’s so-called “front yard” with the help of loans, subsidies and construction projects, the newspaper said.
Some Antiguan residents, including United Progressive Party leader Giselle Isaac, have expressed concerns about China’s expansion on the island, but Antigua Prime Minister Gaston Browne has high praise for China and Chinese dictator Xi Jinping. did.
China’s State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang meets with Antigua and Barbuda’s Foreign Minister Chet Green, who is in Beijing to attend the World Human Rights Governance Forum and visit China, June 15, 2023, in the Chinese capital, Beijing. (Shen Hong/Xinhua via Getty)
“But I think of China as a country that stands on the truth, and a country that has at least some empathy for small countries and for the poor and dispossessed people of the world in general.” Brown told the media.
In a statement to the media, a spokesperson for the Florida-based US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) confirmed recent reports that China is expanding its presence in Antigua.
We know that China may use its commercial and diplomatic presence for military purposes. In Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, China is already abusing trade agreements at host countries’ ports for military purposes. Our concern is that they may do the same in this area.
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) warned in April 2022 that China plans to take advantage of the “economic downturn” in Latin America to expand.
Rubio warned that the United States “cannot allow the Chinese Communist Party to expand its influence and absorb Latin America and the Caribbean.”
In recent years, China’s growth in economic, diplomatic, and military power has caused concern, with many fearing that China will overtake the United States as a superpower.
