Environmental Policy and Chinese Finance in the Caribbean: The Tale of Jamaica's Goat Islands

Abstract

China's growing profile in Latin America and the Caribbean mirrors its rise to geopolitical prominence within the wider international community. As China-Caribbean diplomatic relations have grown deeper and closer, assistance through Chinese development finance has increased. Projects financed through Chinese investment are often associated with significant environmental and social impacts, as highlighted by the proposal for a logistics hub and strategic trans-shipment port in an ecologically sensitive area off the coast of Jamaica in 2013. This paper briefly compares the guidelines that currently govern Chinese investment, with reference to internationally established environmental safeguards and accountability mechanisms. A case is made for the implementation of similar mechanisms to facilitate greater social and environmental accountability in Chinese-funded projects throughout the Caribbean.

Keywords: Jamaica; China; Development Assistance; Environmental Policy;China-Caribbean Relations