This book examines the slide into a new Cold War in the Caribbean. The primary argument is that the Caribbean’s geopolitics have shifted from a period of relative great power disinterest in the aftermath of the Cold War to a gradual movement into a new Cold War in which a global rivalry between the U.S. and China is acted out regionally. The result of this is a gradual polarization of countries in the Caribbean as they are increasingly pressured to choose between Washington and Beijing (this being very evident during the Trump years). It can be argued that the U.S. focus on the Caribbean in the late 1990s through the early 21st century diminished, leaving the region open to a China ready and eager to do business and guided by a diverse set of objectives. The book brings the reader into a discussion on international relations with a main focus on U.S.-Chinese relations being played out in the Caribbean, an important strategic region for the North American country.
Author(s): Scott B. MacDonald
Edition: 1
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Year: 2022
Language: English
Commentary: TruePDF
Pages: 310
Tags: International Relations; Political Science; China: Foreign Relations: Caribbean Area; China: Foreign Relations: United States; Caribbean Area: Foreign Relations: China
Preface
Acknowledgments
Contents
List of Tables
1 Introduction
Purpose of the Book
Operationalizing Terms
New Cold War?
There Will Be No Cold War?
Economic Statecraft
Sharp Power
Geography Still Matters
Outline of the Book
References
2 China’s Caribbean Adventure
China’s Economic Landscape Changes
Still Authoritarian After All These Years
China’s International Development Strategy
China and Latin America
China Comes to the Caribbean
The Role of Confucius Institutes
Changing Strategic Considerations
Conclusion
Note
References
3 China, Venezuela, and Cuba: The New Cold War?
Putting Venezuela into Context
The Best of Times and the Worst of Times
The Ties That Bind
China, Cuba, and the New Cold War
Defining China’s Role in Cuba
Conclusion
References
4 China and the English-Speaking Caribbean and Suriname
Better in the Bahamas?
Trinidad and Tobago—Realpolitik and Mutual Interests
Guyana
Jamaica
Suriname
Conclusion
References
5 Caribbean States and the New Landscape
The Return of Geopolitics and the Caribbean
China’s Economic Statecraft—A Sentiment Shaper
Triggers to the Geopolitical Debate
Covid-19 Diplomacy
International Democracy
Taiwan, China, Guyana, and Being Bullied
The Chinese in the Caribbean: Negative Perceptions
Conclusion
References
6 The China–Taiwan Duel: Caribbean Echoes
From Republic of China to Taiwan—A Brief Look
A Global Game
Panama, the New Cold War, and the Caribbean
The “Loss” of the Dominican Republic
Assessing the New Cold War Landscape—China, Taiwan, and the United States
Taiwan’s Covid-19 Diplomacy
Taiwan and the Caribbean—A Bleak 2020s?
Conclusion
References
7 Realignments, Tensions, and Asymmetry: Russia and Iran
Russia’s Return to the Caribbean
The Return of Russia as a Great Power
The Caribbean Beckons
Russia’s Role in Keeping Venezuela Afloat
Russia and the Rest of the Caribbean
Russia and the Offshore Caribbean
Iran and the Caribbean
The Hidden Hand of Oil Trading
Conclusion
References
8 Europe, Canada, the Caribbean, and the New Cold War
The European Caribbean
Europe, the New Cold War, and the Caribbean
Europe, China, and the Caribbean
The UK and the Caribbean
Canada, China, and the Caribbean
Conclusion
References
9 U.S. Policy in a Choppy Caribbean Sea
Continuity and Change—The Bush and Obama Years
The Trump Years and the New Cold War
Pressure Politics
The Place of Economic Statecraft
Vaccine Policy—A Stumble
U.S. Caribbean Policy—So Much Unfinished Business
Climate Change, Energy Alternatives, and Transitions
Puerto Rico and the New Cold War
Conclusion
References
10 Conclusion
Three Possible Scenarios
China Uber Alles (China Above All)
The China Fade Scenario
The Muddle-Through Scenario
Flashpoints and Opportunities
Conclusion
References
Index
