LISTEN: Antigua and Barbuda PM Says Ending China Ties Would Be a ‘Difficult Proposition’

Prime Minister Gaston Browne says ending Antigua and Barbuda’s diplomatic relationship with China would be a “difficult proposition,” citing decades of Chinese financing and support for major infrastructure projects.

Speaking on the Browne and Browne Show, Browne raised the possibility that Antigua and Barbuda’s close relationship with Beijing could be a factor in recent United States measures affecting the country. He stressed, however, that he was not accusing Washington of deliberately pressuring his government to abandon China.

“If it is that the US is trying to force us to end our diplomatic relations with China, I would say here that that would be a difficult proposition,” Browne said. “And I’m not saying that they are.”

The prime minister said China has been one of the largest contributors to Antigua and Barbuda’s infrastructure development over the past two to three decades.

“No other country, no other financial institution would have made a greater contribution towards the advancement of our country than China,” Browne said.

He pointed to Chinese support for the airport, seaport, university campus and other public infrastructure projects.

Browne said Antigua and Barbuda’s relatively high per capita income makes it difficult to access concessional financing from institutions such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.

China, he said, has filled that gap by providing grants and loans on terms unavailable from many other sources.

According to Browne, some Chinese financing has carried a 2% annual interest rate over 20 years, with a five-year moratorium on principal payments.

“No other entity, none in the world, has been so generous to Antigua and Barbuda,” he said.

Browne said the relationship allows Antigua and Barbuda to retain ownership of nationally important assets while using the revenue they generate to finance further development.

He maintained that the country’s ties with Beijing are based on development needs and do not represent hostility toward the United States or support for China against Washington.

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