China is a big player in the region along with the United States. India and Japan are taking steps to ensure that Beijing does not have complete sway.
As the contemporary Sino-American rivalry unfolds, marked by competition between the great powers “in virtually every domain of global power,” the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is mounting a challenge to U.S. power and influence in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). Recognising that the stakes for U.S. interests are high, in a context where the PRC ranks as the United States’ ”most consequential strategic competitor,” Washington is pursuing a diplomatic strategy to address that challenge. Wary of an ascendant China in CARICOM and clear-eyed about their respective interests, India and Japan are also taking measures to strengthen ties with this region.