China's increasing presence in the Caribbean region is raising concerns about its potential impact on US national security, particularly given its proximity to Florida. Author and US-China relations expert Gordon G. Chang discussed these concerns with Fox News Digital, highlighting China's financial involvement in Caribbean infrastructure and maritime logistics projects.
Chang emphasized the strategic importance of the region, often called "America's third border," and pointed to China's investment in the $3.4 billion Freeport Container Port in the Bahamas, located just 87 miles from Palm Beach, Florida. This investment is part of a broader trend identified by the House Foreign Affairs Committee, which reported over $10 billion in Chinese investments across six Caribbean nations between 2005 and 2022.
The issue of Chinese influence extends to the Panama Canal, a crucial waterway connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. While the US handed control of the canal to Panama in 1999, Chinese companies have made significant investments in nearby ports and terminals, raising concerns about their growing control over this strategic asset. Chang argued that the US needs to counter these investments with its own financial resources to maintain its influence in the region.
Furthermore, a significant increase in Chinese migrants apprehended at the US border is adding to these security concerns. A May 2024 report by the House Homeland Security Subcommittee revealed a dramatic rise in encounters with Chinese nationals at the border, from 1,970 in FY 2022 to over 24,000 in FY 2023 and 24,376 in the first half of FY 2024. Chang noted a shift in the demographics of these migrants, with an increasing number of single men of military age traveling alone and claiming not to speak English, raising further red flags for authorities.
