China fights back!

Rubbishes claims of ‘takeover’; expresses concerns of backlash against nationals

UPSET ABOUT claims by former Minister of National Security Peter Bunting that Jamaicans are undergoing ‘economic colonialism’ by Chinese businesses operating locally, the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China is not only dismissing them, but has labelled the allegations offensive and false. Bunting, the host of the online current affairs programme ‘Probe’, made the assertion via a video clip titled ‘Chinese Take Over?’ which was uploaded to social media on Tuesday.

But according to an official response issued by the embassy yesterday afternoon, the assertions in the video, which have generated widespread discussion, are unsubstantiated.

“We believe these claims could encourage a backlash and create an unsafe environment for Chinese nationals working in Jamaica,” it said.

COMPANIES INDEPENDENT

In rebutting declarations that Chinese firms in Jamaica partake in unfair competition and are government-owned with unlimited resources, the embassy outlined that there was a distinct separation between the Chinese government and the management of Chinese state-owned enterprises. “State-owned enterprises operate independently under business rules and assume sole responsibility for their profits and losses,” the statement read. “Chinese companies are, by nature, very competitive. Duty concessions are usually offered for projects that are joint ventures with the Government of Jamaica, such as the North South Highway, and in other cases, as a way to attract foreign investors. Concessions offered by the Jamaican Government are not limited to Chinese companies, but are made available to other foreign investors.” On the topic of business transparency, the embassy underscored that all locally operated Chinese entities conform to Jamaican laws and regulations and, as such, would have had their documents cleared by authorities before being allowed to operate. Statistics provided

by the embassy also showed Jamaican employees significantly outnumbering the Chinese at three Chinese companies operating locally.

Allegations that Chinese companies use convicted labourers were also raised by Bunting, an assertion the embassy labelled as serious and without evidence.