The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

Dear Minister Darren Henfield,

For most of our 48 year history, The Bahamas has been relying on two of our strongest allies, which is the US and China. We always gave them our hopes and expectations, but what have we gotten from our cooperation?

The Bahamas has been on the brink of economic collapse and rising crime rates multiple times and Washington, DC, and Beijing have always spoken about bringing up the Bahamian people from poverty and combatting crime, yet we never see such promises fulfilled. The US still hasn’t sent an Ambassador for almost a decade and China’s economic deals keep provoking Washington, DC. Also, the cheap donations we keep getting aren’t adding anything of value to The Bahamas.

Additionally, the Cold War spats between America and China over the Bahamas has neglected the country that they were trying to build up. Instead they bicker on what company should get the economic deal to operate in the country whilst many Bahamians remain destitute and jobless at times.

The solution is clear, Mr Henfield. You should contact the Prime Minister to organise a high level meeting with every American and Chinese diplomatic staff involved with the Bahamas so we can reevaluate our diplomatic relations. Both Ambassador Dai Qingli and Charge d’Affairs Usha Pitts and other important diplomatic personnel should bring themselves forward to answer the hard questions to the country.

What benefits did we really get with the Thomas A Robinson stadium and Baha Mar with the Chinese EXIM bank?

What benefit do we get on the Andros fishing deal with Chinese fishers?

What’s the education standards between the Ivy League universities and those found in Shanghai and Beijing when it comes to producing quality alumni who would become the Bahamas’ next generation of geniuses and nation builders?

How effective is the US Coast Guard and the DEA in combatting drug, human and arms trafficking? In addition to that question, why does South Com give the RBDF a little more than small boats and minor naval support technology for our base in Coral Harbour as the Trade winds training exercises have all but completely ceased since 2019?

How much money do we really get from millions of American tourists and thousands of Chinese workers who visited The Bahamas on a yearly basis before COVID-19?

Does the monetary donations from the EXIM Bank and IDB benefit The Bahamas in any capacity?

Does BTC benefit from Huawei and other Western telecommunications companies with building our 5G network?

Are the Bahamian people satisfied with US cruise ship companies at all?

Is The Bahamas in general, satisfied with our relationship between the US and China?

These are the questions that Mrs Qingli and Mrs Pitts should all answer front and centre and not just for you, Mr Henfield, not for Prime Minister Hubert Minnis, but for everyone in this country. This should be the perfect time for you and the current government administration to deliver a firm statement. Either the US and China will respect our sovereignty and work together to help The Bahamas or if they don’t wish to do so, then Washington, DC, and Beijing should stand aside and say nothing until they’re willing to sit on our table and start negotiations. For this is the way that The Bahamas will benefit as a nation.

AMMAKA RUSSELL

Nassau,

July 11, 2021.