CHINA WON BIG IN THE CBI COUNTRIES THIS WEEK

The recent meeting of OECS member states in Saint Lucia demonstrates just how disconnected from reality these elected leaders are from what is happening in the world. Are they not paying attention to the impact of the news? At a time when the Western Hemisphere has become a major geopolitical battleground between China and the United States—with the perpetual war in Ukraine, the ongoing conflict involving Iran, and the European Union's no-nonsense notification that Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programs must end by 2028, with visa-free access potentially at risk even earlier for noncompliance or dilatory response—the main focus of these leaders was the unimportant reappointment of Secretary General Dr. Carla Barnett! Focusing solely on internal procedure, whilst the world, especially the Caribbean, faces serious challenges shows a total lack of leadership in these troubled times. Where was their response to the increasing and unique dangers that the Eastern Caribbean states face in 2026? The Caribbean is on fire, and the OECS is clueless.

Meanwhile, China's influence in the region has increased geometrically; Chinese bad actors, facilitated by corrupt Caribbean leaders, helped reshape the Caribbean CBI market through aggressive pricing and intense competition. It is painfully obvious that weak oversight, obvious and systemic fraud, and the actions of corrupt Caribbean politicians severely and permanently damaged the long-term credibility of these programs, to the point where they cannot recover. China has benefitted immensely from the massive, organized fraud it perpetrated through the illegally discounted sales program its captive companies operated on a global basis. Now, as CBI revenues will continue to decline, due to this new EU termination timeline, China will now conveniently be in a position to offer financing and loans to governments already facing significant domestic fiscal pressure This will further reinforce their already diminished ability to decline more offered capital, which of course comes with permanent strings that China can pull at any time, and definitely will. China's leverage has substantially increased, and will continue to do so.

The truth is that an opportunistic China will end up financing Caribbean governments after benefiting from a system that many believe was undermined by years of inadequate oversight and political corruption, with catastrophic consequences. Congratulations to the corrupt Caribbean leaders; however, the price will not be paid by them. It will be paid by their citizens, and they will start to feel China's knee on their necks, sooner rather than later.