DR and China

But bad for DR in the long run. Bad topic for this site in my opinion.

Agreed.

So tell me why this is a bad topic for this site.  I want to understand why you say this.

Unless I see a reason I will let this run.

Interesante! 
You were expecting loyalty?  @lennoxnev, really?
Loyalty to the US?!  Why, on what grounds?
Outside the US, few countries like the US, as foreign policy is one-sided... is this news?

DR needs to be independent but clearly it has to work with the USA in terms of regional security and the war on drugs. Equally 2 million Dominicans live in the USA so the links are strong.

China will be more important commercially going forward imo with zona franca investments increasing so promoting DR exports.

At a time of great stress financially DR needs infrastructure investment to give it's population water and sustaibable power and more.

Look around you if you live in DR. Even US brands found in ferretias are made in China - my Hunter ceiling fans and light bulbs for example. I have a Huawei phone as does my wife but even if I had an iPhone it would be in large part Chinese made.

I am glad the President is thinking independently and DR first.

My life is here and so what is good for DR is good by me.

Not a bad topic for the site, but there are solid reasons to beware Chinese leaders with large smiles and apparent gifts

This has already been seen in Africa.  Several nations accepted large amounts of aid, but strings -- heck large steel cables -- firmly attached. 

Once China has sufficient control of the economic situation in a country, they start dictating that nation's economic and foreign policies.   The old term "vassal state" comes to mind -- though never said in public.
>> Numerous analyses, both academic and USG, back up that assessment. 

Nevertheless, China is clearly trying to do the same in Latun America.

I can love the DR...but not wish that nation to make the same mistake as so many in Africa have.

I can love the DR, and yet believe they made a mistake spending money on a 50% effective vaccine, no matter the source.  Better to have saved their money and worked on societal safety measures, till the better vaccines came available.
>> But that ship has sailed.

Whatever will be, will be.  I can disagree with others, yet not want to force them to agree with me. 

I hope that same courtesy is extended in return.

I don't see a problem trading and agreeing sound investments with China (as with any other country) if you are managing your economy with the long term interests of your people.

I think Luis is such a person and businessman.

Good points. Historically China has had conditions attached to investments that have come back to bite the borrower in the ass!! Most of Africa are good examples. 

DR must be very careful. 

US is our largest trading partner and that will never change.  That relationship needs preserving as well! 

None of us has an obligation to agree.  Disagreement though needs to be respectful or it will be removed. 

***.

Languaging is important.  Please do not  be using a broad brush nor  anything to incite hate. What a gov't may or may not do is not about the  entire group.

The US brings out aid after Abinader thanked Xi-Jinping for the aid from China

https://listindiario.com/la-republica/2 … s-de-china

A few hours after President Luis Abinader reported that he spoke with the President of China Xi Jinping and thanked him for allowing the shipment of vaccines against Covid-19, the United States issued an extensive list of the aid it has made to the Dominican Republic during the pandemic.

“I just spoke with the President of #China, Xi Jinping, about the bilateral relations of our countries. I especially thanked him for allowing the export of the vaccines to the DR. We are also talking about increasing trade and exports from the DR ”, wrote President Abinader at 10:30 in the morning on his Twitter account.

In that conversation, President Xi Jinping expressed that China is ready to work with the Dominican Republic, to steer their relationship towards further development and continually raise it to higher levels.

The statements offered by the Chinese embassy in the country through the social network Twitter, assure that the statements of the president of the "Asian Giant" occurred in the telephone conversation with President Abinader,

Noting that since the two countries established diplomatic ties, the Dominican Republic has firmly adhered to the one-China policy and has made relations with China a priority of its foreign policy, Xi said China highly appreciates this.

"Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the two countries were united and supported each other," Xi said, adding that China will continue to provide as much support as it can to the Dominican Republic's fight against the coronavirus. "China is confident that under Abinader's leadership, the Dominican Republic will defeat the pandemic soon," Xi said.

Noting that the Communist Party of China (CCP) will soon celebrate the centenary of its founding, Xi stressed that putting people first is the fundamental political principle of that organization, which is highly consistent with the governance philosophy of “a Government for the People ”defended by the Dominican Republic.

"China stands ready to work with the Dominican Republic to strengthen exchanges on governance philosophies, deepen mutual political trust, and promote common development," Xi said.

"This year marks the first year of China's XIV Five-Year Plan," said Xi, adding that China is expanding its openness to a higher level, and that this will create more opportunities for bilateral cooperation.

He added that China welcomes imports of agricultural products with peculiarities from the Dominican Republic, and supports Chinese companies to invest and start businesses in the Dominican Republic.

Xi also expressed the hope that the Dominican Republic will play a positive role in promoting relations between China and the Caribbean and Central American countries, as well as overall cooperation between China and Latin America.

Official information from the embassy assures that Abinader offered a sincere congratulations to the CCP on its impending centennial. He said his country is sincerely grateful for the medical supplies and vaccines provided by China, which have played a key role in the country's fight against Covid-19.

He added that the Dominican Republic firmly adheres to the one-China policy and is ready to strengthen exchanges with China and to expand bilateral cooperation in economy, trade and other areas.

China has sent six batches to the country with five million 8 thousand doses of Sinovac vaccines, bought by the Dominican government, and 50 thousand Sinopharm vaccines donated by the Chinese government along with their syringes.

They have also donated 120 ventilators, 26,000 nucleic acid tests, 1.2 million masks and 11,000 protective clothing, among other supplies to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Relations with China cooled after Abinader's inauguration on August 16 of last year, when there was an obvious rapprochement with the United States, which seems to be changing in recent months.

Clearly the USA which is the largest import and export market for the DR by far is sensative to China's foreign policy in the Americas. 

They have historically lacked providing the same levels of aid and soft loans that have come from the EU, Canada and others.

There is huge potential to grow exports to China significantly which is currently based largely of minerals. Rum and tabacco would be one area where major growth is possible as well as other agricultural products. DR also offers low labour cists and is in ideal location to invest in manufacturing and since 2018 Chinese companies have started doing that.

What about producing covid19 vaccines too? It has happened in Brazil and Egypt so far.

DR badly needs to reduce it's balance of payments by reducing imports and increasing exports as well as obtaining better financing for existing loans.