On Tuesday, 6 October, the new research report Chinese Presence and Geopolitical Resilience in the Caribbean Parts of the Kingdom of the Netherlands will be published and presented. The study examines Chinese presence in Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, St. Eustatius and St. Maarten, and uses this analysis to identify broader vulnerabilities and opportunities to strengthen geopolitical and economic resilience.
Chinese presence in the islands has grown over recent decades, particularly through migration, entrepreneurship and private economic activity. At the same time, the study finds little evidence that Chinese state influence has increased substantially. A key principle throughout the report is therefore the distinction between presence and influence: economic or societal presence does not automatically imply political or state-directed influence.
