Senior Tory Tugendhat accuses China of manipulating Barbados
A senior Tory MP has controversially claimed that Chinese influence is behind Barbados’ recent decision to ditch the Queen as head of state.
Tom Tugendhat, who is chairman of the House of Commons’ foreign affairs committee, claims China is actively seeking to undermine the UK’s position in the Caribbean.
However, Tugendhat, who is known for his hardline views on China and national security matters in general, provides no evidence for his incendiary claim.
According to the Times (September 23), Tugendhat claims that China is using “infrastructure investment” and “debt diplomacy” as a “means of control” in relation to the Caribbean island nations.
“British partners have long faced challenges from rivals seeking to undermine our alliance. Today we’re seeing it in the Caribbean. Some islands seem to be close to swapping a symbolic Queen in Windsor for a real and demanding emperor in Beijing”, Tugendhat quips.
The Times claims that CIA intelligence about China’s growing influence over Barbados has been passed to Britain. But again no evidence is furnished to support these highly controversial claims.
For his part, Tugendhat is widely recognized as the leading anti-China voice in the far right of the Tory party.
He is one of the founders of the China Research Group, a social media platform tasked with recycling anti-China propaganda.
The British establishment’s disappointment with Barbados’ decision to transition to a full republic is in sharp contrast to authentic voices in the Caribbean who believe the small island nation’s move can set off a “chain reaction” in the region.
Barbados plans to officially remove Queen Elizabeth II as head of state by November 2021, which marks the 55th anniversary of the island nation’s independence from the UK.
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