Dragon in the Caribbean

Book excerpt: Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, China's economic relationship with the countries of the Caribbean has grown significantly. While most of the burgeoning literature on China's relations with Latin America and the Caribbean focus primarily on Latin America, Dragon in the Caribbean is arguably the first book to examine China's relationship with the Caribbean. An overview is given of China's changing position and rise in power in the global landscape as well as its growing economic and political presence in the Caribbean. The nature, extent and character of this development is then examined and analysed by reviewing development assistance, trade and foreign investment in the Caribbean. Bernal then outlines some of the considerations and motivations of China and the countries of the Caribbean for deepening their relationship and discusses the challenges and opportunities for the Caribbean that this relationship presents in the immediate future. The material is enhanced by an extensive table detailing year-by-year and country-by-country visits, agreements and projects grounding the economic, trade and technological cooperation between CARICOM countries and China. Heavily referenced from books, international and regional newspaper and journal articles as well as online resources, Dragon in the Caribbean adds significantly to the understanding and appreciation of the policymaking powers at play in the relationship between the Caribbean and China.