COOK ISLANDS, AS A FREELY ASSOCIATED STATE, JOINS AIIB

Cook Islands membership of Asian Infrastructure 

and Investment Bank confirmed

PACNEWS

The Cook Islands Government has welcomed confirmation by the Board of Governors of Cook Islands membership in the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). Confirmation of membership follows months of advocacy for membership by the Government, most recently in the margins of the Forum Leaders meeting held in Apia in September.

This brings total approved membership of the AIIB to 84 which include countries such as China, Canada, France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

AIIB is a multilateral development bank with a mission to improve social and economic outcomes within Asia and beyond. Conceived in 2014 as an initiative of the Government of the People’s Republic of China, in 2016, the AIIB invested $1.73billion in 9 projects across Asia.

At present, options available to the Cook Islands Government for development finance include the Asian Development Bank (which the Cook Islands has been a member of since 1976), the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Export-Import Bank of China. The Cook Islands isn’t yet a member of the World Bank (WB) or the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The obstacle being United Nations membership a prerequisite for WB/IMF membership.

The 2015 Cook Islands National Investment Infrastructure Plan (NIIP) outlines the Cook Islands infrastructure investments and maintenance priorities for the next 10 years. The plan outlines strategic priorities for all major infrastructure sectors – air, marine and road transport, water supply, sanitation, solid waste management, energy, telecommunications and information technology, education, health and other infrastructure.

“Pending ODA graduation requires our Government continue to diversify development finance options to support our country’s development agenda, including as relate to infrastructure,” said Finance Minister Mark Brown.

“Our approach to development finance will necessarily continue to be a blend of our own finances with ODA including climate finance, borrowing and equity investment. Membership of the AIIB offers us another option for that mix,” said Brown.

The Ministries of Finance and Economic Management and Foreign Affairs and Immigration will follow through with the AIIB Secretariat in the new-year to complete the necessary processes and documentation and it is intended the Cook Islands will participate in the 3rd Annual Meeting of the AIIB in June 2018.

AIIB membership is contingent on support from the existing membership. “We appreciate the support for our membership as confidence in our Government’s ability to meet our obligations as a member and contribute meaningfully to the shared objectives of improving social and economic outcomes for the people of member countries of AIIB,” said Brown.

Hong Kong political integration v Puerto Rico 'protectorate' status

SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST

US should look to its own conduct before crying interference

A look at how Washington treats Puerto Rico shows the hypocrisy of its claims about Beijing’s role in Hong Kong

Alex Lo

The US State Department thinks Beijing is interfering in Hong Kong affairs. It’s a bit like a serial killer accusing a pickpocket of being a criminal. Some examples?

State-run newspapers ran an op-ed campaign against appointing a pro-democracy scholar to a senior position at a local university. A bookseller and a tycoon in Hong Kong might have been coerced into going back to the mainland. Beijing has championed the former chief secretary to be the next chief executive. A Basic Law interpretation by the standing committee of the nation’s parliament aims to disqualify local secessionist lawmakers.

To compare like with like, let’s consider Puerto Rico, a US protectorate. Exactly a century ago, Washington granted US citizenship to a million people on the island. It promptly drafted 2 per cent of the population into fighting in world war one. That set off a century of ruthless American exploitation that is unabated today. Beijing formally controls the foreign and military affairs of Hong Kong while we still run our own trade, currency, border control, government, tax, law, water, energy and much else.

The Puerto Rican government has no control of much of anything. According to Nelson Denis, author of War Against All Puerto Ricans, US federal agencies now run the island’s banking and legal systems, foreign trade and relations, shipping and maritime laws, broadcasting regulations, postal service, immigration, social security, customs, transportation, defence, the environment, territorial waters and air space. It uses the US dollar as its official currency. It is poorer than the poorest US state, Mississippi.

Yet, its government has recently raised the retirement age and public pension contributions while cutting benefits. It has raised rates for water, gas, electricity and sales taxes from 10 to 60 per cent. More schools and clinics are shut. Why? Because it has become a municipal bond debtor being targeted for privatisation by Wall Street and US hedge funds. Puerto Rico has a public debt of US$72 billion, equivalent to three-quarters of GDP.

Poll after poll has shown most Puerto Ricans want to join the American union. Yet, last year, all three branches of the US government declared the island to be no better than a colony.

The Obama White House said it was a US territorial possession without sovereignty, and the Supreme Court agreed. The US Congress created a financial control board to run its economy and government, to make sure American financiers got their pound of flesh.

Interference? It’s all relative.

Virgin Islands Premier leads delegation to China

Economic Cooperation Agreement signed with City of Tianjin  Caribbean News Now! BVI and China pledge strategic cooperation The BVI government and the administration commission of the Tianjin Binhai New Area CBD sign a strategic cooperation agreement on October 21 in Tianjin. By Natalie Hodge TIANJIN, China -- The BVI Asian Trade Mission, led by premier and minister of finance, Dr Orlando Smith, has resulted in a pledge for strategic cooperation between the government of the British Virgin Islands and the Administration Commission of the Tianjin Binhai New Area Central Business District (CBD). The BVI government and the administration commission of the Tianjin Binhai New Area CBD signed a strategic cooperation agreement on October 21 in the Chinese port city of Tianjin Under the terms of the agreement, the BVI and the Tianjin Binhai New Area pledge to develop long-term cooperation with mutual understanding, respect of, and support for each other’s development strategies, systems of management and operation as long-term strategic partners. Tianjin Binhai New Area is one of China’s special economic zones, set up in 2010 and located on the coast of the Bohai Sea, east of Tianjin’s main urban area, where experimental reforms are taking place. At the signing ceremony, Smith said it is a historic moment for the BVI, adding, “We are both port cities so to speak – notwithstanding that the BVI is entirely surrounded by water -- we are both keen to promote our financial services, our tourism, technology, a special economic zone and perhaps most significantly, we are jointly committed to supporting China’s Go Global Strategy. Today I am pleased to confirm that our joint aim is to strengthen Chinese enterprises investment in the BVI, and to promote economic and trade cooperation between China and the BVI.” Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee of Binhai New Area Tianjin and party secretary and director of the CBD Administrative Commission, Wei Ming Zheng; deputy director of the CBD Administrative Commission, Ji Ping Shi; and officials of the Financial Service Bureau of the CBD Administrative Commission attended Friday’s signing ceremony. At a BVI road show event later in the day, the premier gave a keynote address on the topic: “Pursuing Global Success with BVI as Your International Partner of Choice”. Also, Conyers Dill & Pearman Partner, Anna Chong, delivered a presentation titled “The Belt and Road Initiative: How the BVI Facilitates the Investment Opportunities”. Deputy group managing director, OIL, Simon Filmer, also presented on the topic: “The BVI: At the Cutting Edge of Incorporation”. Permanent Secretary, Premier's Office, BVI government, Brodrick Penn, moderated a panel discussion titled, “The BVI Advantage in the Capital Markets”. Joining Penn as panelists were counsel, Jones Day, Carson Wen; and Campbells partner, Marianne Rajic. Following the discussion, Rajic delivered a presentation titled “The BVI Advantage in Litigation”. Managing director, AMS Financial Services, Claire Abrehart, presented “The BVI: Balancing Client Confidentiality with International Compliance”. Closing the roadshow was a panel titled “The Enduring Competitiveness of the BVI” moderated by Filmer. Panelists included financial secretary, BVI government, Neil Smith; Abrehart; Penn; and Wen.

CURACAO PM EMPHASIZES CURACAO-CHINA PARTNERSHIP

Address by His Excellency, Dr. B. Whiteman

Prime Minister of Curaçao

Celebration of the 67th Anniversary of the Founding of the People’s Republic of China

Atrium Hall, Renaissance Curacao Resort and Casino

20 September 2016

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, bon nochi, good evening, wǎnshànghǎo (wangshanhou).

On behalf of the Government of Curaçao, I want to congratulate you all on the 67th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China: a country whose strength lies in its ancient culture, and an impressive economic growth and prosperity, as a result of the hard work of its peoples, both at home and abroad.

Thinking of China, reminds me of the wise expression of Confucius, a famous Chinese teacher, politician and philosopher who expressed the following: “it does not matter how slowly you go, as long as you do not stop.” As we would say in spanish: sin prisa, pero sin pausa.

The reason that I decided to mention this expression, is because in September 2015, the world watched while world leaders adopted the Sustainable Development Goals; a set of goals that unites all United Nation member-states, with the willpower for progress and leaving no one behind.

As the expression says, uniting for progress, no matter how slow, despite the obstacles that stand in the way, is the essence of Curaçao and China’s relationship. This willpower for progress, lays the foundation of our common futures and the prosperity of both the Curaçao and Chinese peoples.

The Sustainable Development Goals are critical success factors in securing a good future for Curaçao. The presentation of the National Development Plan, based on specific Sustainable Development Goals, highlights the way we will progress, and how our relationship with countries around the world will be formed.

In my speech last year, I spoke of the current relationship between Curacao and China, and how an island like Curaçao can still learn a lot from China’s development. From building sustainable cities like Shanghai and Suzhou (Soo-Chow), to sustainable investment and sustainable economic growth. The success of the People’s Republic of China is a lesson for us all.

As a leader in sustainable energy, China has much to offer Curaçao, especially as our partnership continues to grow. It is estimated that by 2020, over 15 percent of China’s energy capacity will come from non-fossil fuel sources, indicating again how China is a leader in the renewable energy industry.

The most wind energy capacity in the world is in China.

The most solar energy capacity in the world is in China.

The most hydropower capacity in the world is in China.

As of 2016, nearly 31% of Curaçao’s energy will come from renewable sources, a clear leader in the Caribbean region. That is something we should all be proud of.

In addition to renewable energy sources, Curaçao, China and other countries are still currently dependent on fossil fuels – an industry that has, in both situations, had a negative effect on the environment. Like Confucius said, it is not about how quickly we progress, but the mere fact that we continue to do so. The same is relevant when we speak of the fossil fuel industry.

Ladies and Gentlemen, there is another reason why I want to congratulate you all, and that is with the celebration of the Mid-Autmn Festival. Simbolically the bright moon and its light brings you and your family’s happiness and prosperity.

Ladies and Gentlemen, it brings happiness and prosperity also to Curacao, because precisely the date of it’s celebration is the 16th of September, which is exactly the day on which the Government of Curacao signed the MOU with the State Owned Company of China, Guangdon Zhenrong Energy Company ltd.

There couldn’t be a better date to sign this Memorandum of Understanding.

While a shift to renewable sources is a step in the right direction, other steps need to be taken to make our current fossil fuel industries more sustainable. It is for this reason that the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Curaçao and the Chinese company Guangdong Zhenrong Energy Co. Limited is so important.

Agreements like these play a pivotal role in building a sustainable future.

One where our children will be able to grow up in a Curaçao that is cleaner, economically stable, and constantly growing.

Thus where there is a balance between People, Planet and Profit.

That’s why, we look at this Memorandum of Understanding as a vital part of the Country that we want to be, building on the strengths of our current economic pillars, and broadening horizons to explore new possibilities.

Let the Sustainable Development Goals continue to shape the way we build our relationship, and work together, particularly when it comes to building the future based not only on reducing our dependency on sources of non-renewable energy, but also on utilizing the strengths of our economy to make way for future generations.

Let’s use the resources that we have to stimulate policies for growth and prosperity, and let’s start working together through making sure we leave no one, and no country behind, no matter how small.

The love that people in Curaçao have for their Country is similar to the national pride that you all have for China. I know that for many of you, Curaçao has been a home for a very long time. No matter how long you have considered this island your home, I am convinced that the love and pride that you have for China, is also something that you share for our Dushi Korsou.

There is still so much Curaçao can learn from China, and still so much that we can build together. All this begins with building a sustainable relationship, built on trust, respect, and progress for all. The Sustainable Development Goals, the Chinese population in Curaçao, the Chinese Consulate General on the island, and this initial Memorandum of Understanding that paves the way for further investment, are some of the aspects that keep on uniting our two countries.

As we celebrate approximately two and a half years of the Consul General of China’s presence in Curaçao, I look forward to strengthening the ties between our two nations, looking towards a future of more solar panels especially for schools, wind mills, and hydropower. This is only the beginning of what can be a strong relationship and Curaçao’s potential to be a hub for exporting Chinese energy products to the whole region.

“MAN HOW” (BONNOCHI) , FOE YIN (BON BINI),

HOW CHI, NEI FOEK CHOK (PABIEN KU BOSO SELEBRASHON),

OHN SUNG OH TEI HOO YI, SING WAY,

TAI YIN CHI MOEI, TO CHE (MI TA SPERA KU NOS POR BIRA RUMAN).

Danki, thank you, xièxie (sheeshee) and again, let us celebrate the success of the People’s Republic of China, and the strong ties that your country has with Curaçao.

Curacao inks deal with China firm to run Isla refinery

REUTERS

By Sailu Urribarri  

The government of Curacao has signed a preliminary agreement with China's Guangdong Zhenrong Energy to operate the aging Isla refinery and invest some $10 billion in upgrading the facility, according to an agreement made public on Monday.

Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA [PDVSA.UL] has for decades operated the refinery, which opened in 1918, under a lease agreement. But the cash-poor PDVSA has been reluctant to invest some $1.5 billion that Curacao authorities requested several years back to modernize the 335,000-barrels-per-day facility.

"Unfortunately, all the government's efforts to reach a new contract with Venezuela did not yield positive results," Curacao Prime Minister Bernard Whiteman said in a video posted on the government's website on Monday. "Curacao could not wait any longer; we had to look at other alternatives."

He added that Guangdong Zhenrong would "finance, modernize and operate the refinery, the storage terminal and dock."

Guangdong Zhenrong, a state-controlled commodities trader, will also assist in modernizing the water and electricity plants as well as aid in the construction of a new gas terminal, he said.

The memorandum of understanding between the two parties lays out a two-month timeframe for negotiations with the possibility for a two-month extension.

PDVSA and Guangdong Zhenrong did not respond to emails seeking comment.

Located just 50 kilometers (31 miles) northwest of Venezuela, the Isla refinery is a strategic facility for PDVSA to store and ship Venezuelan oil destined for the Asian market. China in the last decade has become one of the top buyers of Venezuelan crude and fuel through an oil-for-loans financing agreement.

Unlike many facilities in Venezuela, terminals at Isla and neighboring Bullenbaai can receive large tankers, such as Very Large Crude Carriers that can transport up to 2 million barrels of oil to China.

The current lease agreement with PDVSA stipulates that if neither party ends the agreement two years before its expiration, it is automatically renewed for another 10 years. The current lease expires on Dec. 31, 2019.

Residents of Curacao, an autonomous country within the kingdom of the Netherlands, have for years complained that Isla's emissions cause health problems and insist the facility needs investment to reduce its environmental impact.

Guangdong Zhenrong is 44.3 percent owned by Zhuhai Zhenrong Corp, one of China's top four state petroleum traders.

Pacific Forum reveals regional geo-strategic tensions

By John Braddock 

The Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) summit at Pohnpei in Micronesia last weekend agreed to admit the French colonies of New Caledonia and French Polynesia as members of the organisation. Wallis and Futuna, another French territory, retains observer status. French Polynesian President Edouard Fritch called the decision “historic,” declaring it would see greater involvement of the territories in regional affairs.

In reality, the move is another sign of deepening geo-strategic tensions as the imperialist powers seek to counter Beijing’s growing influence in the southwest Pacific. France, a major imperialist power, is being brought forward to buttress the position of the US and its local allies, Australia and New Zealand.

The French territories are strategically significant. New Caledonia has a key military base and is one of the world’s largest suppliers of nickel, an essential element in armaments manufacture. French Polynesia was the site of France’s nuclear testing program at Mururoa Atoll from 1966-1996.

Since the forum’s founding in 1971, Canberra and Wellington have used the 16-member body as a vehicle for their own neo-colonial interests. Their dominance began to break up after they imposed sanctions on Fiji following its 2006 military coup. Fiji’s regime turned elsewhere, primarily to China and Russia, for trade, aid and military equipment.

Frank Bainimarama, Fiji’s military leader, who was elected prime minster in 2014, has encouraged other Pacific nations to take a more “independent” stance. In 2012, Fiji set up the Pacific Islands Development Forum (PIDF) as an alternative to the PIF. While Fiji was readmitted to the PIF two years ago, Bainimarama boycotted the summit, sending his foreign minister in his place.

Last weekend, as the forum was sitting, Bainimarama reshuffled his cabinet, relieving Foreign Minister Ratu Inoke Kubuabola of his job and taking it on himself. Australia’s ABC political editor Chris Uhlmann described the sacking as “a calculated slap down of the forum, aimed at showing Australia and New Zealand that Fiji does not need them to make its way in the world.” Noting that the summit was being held in a sports centre financed by China, Uhlmann warned that while China had been “making friends in the Pacific,” Australia had been “making enemies.”

Fiji’s trade minister Faiyaz Koya last week announced Fiji was withdrawing from talks on a Pacific-wide trade deal, the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (Pacer Plus), citing backtracks on key commitments by Australia and New Zealand. Papua New Guinea has also withdrawn from the agreement.

At last year’s PIF meeting, Tony Abbott, then Australian prime minister, and New Zealand’s John Key tried to strong-arm the Pacific states, prior to the ecological summit in Paris, into accepting lower carbon emission targets even though rising sea levels threaten their survival. Bainimarama led a rebellion by the Pacific countries in Paris, declaring the Pacific was “bearing the brunt” of climate change.

This year, after lobbying by France, New Zealand and Australia, the vote to admit New Caledonia and French Polynesia to the PIF was unanimous. France has been pushing for membership for its territories since 2003. Their inclusion was resisted by the other island states because the forum is meant to be for “independent” countries, even though their own “independence” has always been extremely limited, largely because of the ongoing domination of the former colonial powers, Australia and New Zealand.

The legacy of France’s nuclear testing has long fuelled opposition to the encroachment of France into regional policy. Canberra and Wellington have always viewed France as an imperialist competitor. New Zealand’s “anti-nuclear” stance in the 1970s and 1980s sought to diminish French influence. Mutual antagonism reached fever pitch in 1985 when the French secret service bombed the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior in Auckland harbour.

Opening the door to wider French influence in Pacific affairs is therefore a significant shift. According to Radio NZ, France had been able to “defy the forum for decades and now [it] gets to sit—indirectly—at the Forum table.”

The decision coincided with an anti-China witch-hunting campaign by the Australian media and political establishment aimed at ramping up an atmosphere for war preparations with China. On August 29, analyst Hugh White told the ABC’s “Pacific Beat” program that China was seeking to become “perhaps the leading power” in the western Pacific. It was cultivating closer relationships with “even the smallest and most remote” countries. Any improvement in China’s position, he declared, would be a “negative for Washington.”

In fact, China’s expansion into the Pacific has been primarily in response to the Obama administration’s aggressive “pivot” to the Asia-Pacific. Within the next five years, 60 percent of the US Navy’s warships will be operating in the Pacific. Military facilities in South Korea, Japan, the Philippines and Singapore are being upgraded, along with the expanded use of Australian ports and bases. In a break with New Zealand’s longstanding “anti-nuclear” policy, a US warship is to visit the country in November.

According to the Sydney-based Lowy Institute, China has overtaken Australia as the biggest source of aid to Fiji, and will soon surpass Canberra’s aid to Samoa and Tonga. Beijing’s aid exceeds that from New Zealand and Japan and, at $US1.8 billion, is on the verge of overtaking the US in terms of total aid delivered to the Pacific islands since 2006.

Trade between China and the Pacific doubled last year. The ABC reported that in 2015 total trade reached $US7.5 billion, up from $4.5 billion in 2014. Most of the growth has come from China’s exports to the region, but the Pacific’s exports to China are also expanding, led by the Papua New Guinea’s liquefied natural gas projects. Fish products and timber are the other major exports. More than half of Solomon Islands’ total export income comes from logs sent to China.

The Chinese technology giant Huawei has a major regional presence, working with Pacific telecommunications providers, governments, and businesses to develop subsea cables, networks and datacentres. In 2013, the Australian government stopped Huawei being awarded contracts for a major fibre-optic Internet infrastructure project. The ban was imposed, on bogus “security” grounds, at the behest of Washington. Documents released by whistleblower Edward Snowden confirmed that the US engaged for years in a campaign of industrial espionage against Huawei.

The expansion of France, a European imperialist power, into the Pacific is a sharp warning of the deepening tensions and march to war. In his ABC interview last month, White warned that the growing pattern of rivalry in the Pacific is “what you would expect to see in the lead-up to conflict.”

Curacao Prime Minister concludes successful visit to China

Consul General: “China Has Good Relations with The Netherlands And Now Also With Curaçao”

WILLEMSTAD – As it is already known, China and the Netherlands have a good relation. The Prime Minister of China had been already in the Netherlands on an official visit, but also the Prime Minister of the Netherlands was in China for an official visit. And during these visits, many agreements were signed between the two countries. This is according to the Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Curaçao, Chen Qiman during a press conference. The Consul General made these statements in relation to the visit of the Prime Minister of Curaçao, Ivar Asjes to China.

According to Qiman, it’s her responsibility to promote the cooperation and relation between China and the Dutch Caribbean. This is why she was very excited when the Prime Minister accepted her invitation to visit China.

The preparation for this visit started before the end of last year. Thus, it took almost six months. Finally the Curaçao delegation traveled to China and this opened the doors for cooperation between the two countries.

“Now, the two countries don’t know each other very well. Many in China are asking where Curaçao is located and on the other hand, the people of Curaçao don’t know much about China,” said the Consul General.”

This is why Qiman believes that one of the major challenges is to let the people of both countries meet and understand each other. The delegation was able to see for themselves what is happening in China. They visited many authorities, companies and other entities and also interesting facilities.

“What they have seen in China could have made an impression on them. They were able to see the social stability, high level of technology, hardworking people, an efficient administration and finally the pleasant life in China,” said the Consul General.

Possible implications of the U.S. 'pivot' to the Pacific?

OP-ED: The Elephant vs. the Shark
By Lawrence Wilkerson
The Obama administration's nebulous "Pacific Pivot" is setting the stage for a superpower conflict in East Asia.
Lawrence Wilkerson was Secretary of State Colin Powell’s chief of staff as well as associate director of the State Department’s Policy Planning staff, where he was responsible for East Asia and the Pacific. Before serving at the State Department, Wilkerson served 31 years in the U.S. Army. He is a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.

The Obama administration’s “Pacific Pivot” will make it more difficult than ever for countries of the region to stay neutral in an emerging rivalry between the United States and China. Credit: U.S. Navy/public domain

WASHINGTON, Mar 25 2014 (IPS) - To pivot, according to the venerable Oxford English Dictionary, means “to turn as on a pivot.” Which takes us to the noun, which seems more appropriate for describing the Obama administration’s Pacific policy: “That on which anything turns; a cardinal or central point.”

The problem, however, is that finding a cardinal or a central point in the administration’s Pacific policy is extremely difficult. What is clear is only a verb tense.

At the climax of this awesome conflict, the massive land power will confront the formidable sea power.

The United States is turning from more than a decade of war – ineffective and costly – in western Asia to a more important and strategic region, eastern Asia, plus the waters that approach it. Perhaps the central point of the pivot is Asia, and the United States is switching from one end to the other.

The “Pacific,” however, suggests a broader turn, although new allies and commitments in the Indian Ocean seem to balance if not outweigh those in the Pacific Ocean. India is the most potent example, a country located more or less at a central point.

If geographical and policy clarity is lacking, so is clarity around security, and in particular military security. Muddling matters more, U.S. Secretary of Defence Chuck Hagel on Feb. 25 outlined a resource approach that implied that China is the number one challenge for the United States, therefore land forces will subsidise sea and air forces.

READ THE FULL OP ED HERE.

Curacao PM discusses recent visit to Hague

Meeting with Ambassadors - Report From The Prime Minister

WILLEMSTAD – During his recent trip to the Netherlands, the Prime Minister of Curacao met with several Ambassadors in The Hague. This is what he reported .

Ambassador People’s Republic of China (PRC). Ambassador Chen Xu brought to Premier Ivar Asjes greetings from the Chinese leadership and indicated to look forward to the establishment of the Chinese Consulate General in Curacao. In that regard, he expressed the hope that the recognition and admission procedure will be completed in the shortest possible time. 

Mr. Chen Xu also emphasized the complementary nature of the relationship between China and Curaçao. He pointed to the existing working relationship with Minister Plenipotentiary  (Marvelyne) Wiels and said also to that he expects that Curaçao would be attractive to a large group of the Chinese tourist. Premier Asjes indicated that his government is urgently working on the approval and authorization of the Chinese Consul-General. He also referred to the trade mission last May of the (former) Minister of Curaçao Economic Development in the PRC. In that context Curacao wishes to establish itself as a solid foundation for Chinese companies which are interested in doing business with Latin American businesses.

Ambassador Republic of Panama. Ambassador Terán-Sitton brought to Premier Asjes greetings from President (Ricardo) Martinelli. The Ambassador said that his country’s economy is doing good, that the expansion of the Panama Canal is on schedule and that the metro system is being constructed. Ambassador Terán-Sitton indicated that from 1989-1991 he was the Minister of Health and that is why he knows that several Curacaoans have studied medicine in Panama. Mr. (Jose Manuel) Terán-Sitton announced its intention to visit Curacao.

Regarding the presence of Curaçao students in Panama, Premier Asjes announced that the policy of his government is aimed at stimulating studying the region. That is one reason to work on cultural ties with countries in the region, which may also result in trade relations. Premier Asjes promised at the end of the meeting to pick up again all topics discussed in 2011 during the 66th AVVN with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Panama (including the opening of a consulate in Curacao).

Ambassador Republic of Colombia. Ambassador Leongómez Pizarro began the conversation by stating that Colombia has great interest in Curacao not in the least because of the presence of a Colombian community in Curacao. In addition, with the expansion of the Panama Canal, the Caribbean regions (including the ports of Cartagena and Barranquilla) will be increasingly developed. Moreover, 20% of the Colombian population are of African origin and because of that Colombia will actively participate next year in the activities surrounding the commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the departure of the last slave ship towards Colombia.

The Ambassador was of the opinion that Curacao could act as a bridge between Colombia, the Netherlands and the rest of Europe. The opening of the Holland House in Colombia in November 2013 will play an important role in this endeavor. Colombia received last year 15 billion dollars in foreign investment. In recent years, the country has also seen an economic growth of 4.5% per year. The expectation is Colombia will be the third largest economy in Latin America after Brazil and Mexico.

Prime Minister Asjes agreed that Curacao can function as a bridge between Colombia, on one side, and the Netherlands, Europe, and on the other side. The Colombian businesses for example, could use the Curaçao financial infrastructure. Premier Asjes further indicated that his government, together with the private sector, is working on the positioning of Curaçao in the region. In this context, the Curaçao government recently approved the MoU, which was two years in the making, so that it can be signed with Colombia. There are all the necessary contacts in this respect with the Colombian authorities through the Colombian consulate in Willemstad. The trip to Colombia is scheduled for October and will possibly be combined with a visit to Panama.

Aruba refinery purchase by China finalized

Petrochina awaits approval Beijing
 

 ORANJESTAD — The principle agreement between the American oil company Valero and the Chinese state-owned company Petrochina on the purchase of the refinery on Aruba is finalized.

Petrochina now awaits approval from Beijing. Premier Mike Eman (AVP) stated the aforementioned after conversations with executives from Valero late last week.

The premier described the principle agreement between Valero and Petrochina, which is not the same as the MOU between Petrochina and Aruba, as ‘phase one’ of the selling process. The second phase is the approval of the agreement and the final decision to take over the refinery from Valero. This approval could take a while, said Minister of Finance, Utilities, Communication & Energy, Mike de Meza (AVP).

 

“I understand this. Generally speaking, it takes over one year to sell a large refinery as the one on Aruba. It’s a time-consuming process.” Nevertheless, both Eman and De Meza hope to receive a positive answer from Beijing within several weeks.

The ministers think it’s a good sign that in a letter to Valero, Petrochina requested to keep the workers employed until the refinery has been taken over. Premier Eman also requested Valero once again to keep the personnel employed. “After all, it regards almost 600 persons who often have a special function and won’t easily find similar employment elsewhere.” Moreover, the premier emphasized that these employees should stay on when the refinery is taken over.

Economic impact

Early June rating firm Standard & Poor’s (S&P) stated not to lower the credit rating for Aruba despite the closing of the refinery. Nevertheless, S&P departed from the refinery reopening very soon. The rating firm assumes that the government will take measures to prevent ‘fiscal decline’ if it took more than several months to reopen the refinery. 

The Central Bank of Aruba (CBA) anticipates an economic decline (-4.2 percent) in 2012 if the refinery doesn’t reopen this year. If the refinery reopens in September, the bank expects a marginal growth of 0.1 percent. An economic growth of 1.6 percent is expected

China Leases Petroleum Storage Facility in St. Eustatius

China's refinery deal helps Cuba's oil exploration

China.org.cn

It was announced this week that China's National Petroleum Corporation had signed a US$6 billion agreement for an oil refinery important to Cuba's drilling explorations.


The refinery, located in Cienfuegos province, is jointly owned by Cuba and Venezuela. Caribbean analysts see the latest Chinese investment in Cuba as another example of the increasing role China has been playing of late in the search for oil in Latin America and the Caribbean.

In the past two years, Chinese investments have also financed energy projects and formed joint ventures in Venezuela, Brazil and Ecuador.

In addition, China has leased a petroleum storage facility on St Eustatius in the Netherland Antilles,  * the Dutch-speaking Caribbean islands.

There have also been reports in the Caribbean and US press that China's national oil corporation has been having talks with the Texas-based refining giant, Valero, about purchasing its refinery on Aruba, another Dutch island. But these China initiatives are only a few of the many being undertaken in the Caribbean and Latin America by international oil giants and rising oil companies.

In the Dutch Antilles, the US-based Hess Oil Corporation and Venezuela's national oil company Petroven jointly run a major oil facility in Curacao, the main island in the Dutch chain.

In the English-speaking Caribbean, oil-rich Trinidad & Tobago continues to extend and expand its exploration and extraction activities as researchers start to warn that reserves could start dwindling.

Guyana, in South America, has had many exploratory initiatives over the past two decades, including one by Chevron-Texaco, none yielding positive results.

But earlier this month English-speaking Guyana and neighboring Dutch-speaking Suriname – South American mainland-based Caribbean Community (Caricom) member-states that have had battles over rights to oil in waters shared by them – both announced new developments in their respective petroleum sectors.

Guyana announced that a Canadian company, CGX, had teamed up with Spanish oil giant Repsol, to form a consortium to begin exploring for oil this month in the Guyana-Surinam basin.CGX had launched a similar exploration exercise back in 2000, but was chased by sea pirates and bandits.

Surinam announced last week that it will soon start receiving oil from Venezuela as part of its PetroCaribe initiative, through which the oil-rich, Spanish-speaking South American and Caribbean state already delivers petroleum to most Caricom states with preferential prices and treatment.

Meanwhile, with world petroleum prices rising constantly and reserves dwindling in traditional source countries, Latin American and Caribbean nations have been increasing their searches for new sources of oil.

But they are also investing more time, energy and resources in similar searches for alternative sources of energy. In many cases, investment have been made in Caribbean territories in harnessing solar and wind energy, as well as hydroelectricity.

China recently signed a multi-billion-dollar deal to finance a major hydroelectricity project in Guyana.
In St. Lucia, a small US-based company, Qualibou, says it has found more potential power than it earlier thought at the island's active volcanic west coast Sulphur Springs and is now seeking capital to fund exploration. St. Lucia also earlier this year signed an agreement with a small Canada-based entity, Elementa Group and Island Green Energy of Sault Ste. Marie, to generate power from municipal waste.

* Editors Note: The Netherlands Antilles ceased to exist on 10th October 2010 and St. Eustatius has become a partially-integrated 'public entity' of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Military Build-up in Guam an attempt to Contain China - UK Telegraph

The US Is Building An £8 Billion Super Military Base On the Pacific Island of Guam In An Attempt to Contain China's Military Build-Up.


by Praveen Swami, Diplomatic Editor
Telegraph.co.uk

The expansion will include a dock for a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, a missile defence system, live-fire training sites and the expansion of the island's airbase. It will be the largest investment in a military base in the western Pacific since the Second World War, and the biggest spend on naval infrastructure in decades. However, Guam residents fear the build-up could hurt their ecosystem and tourism-dependent economy.

Estimates suggest that the island's population will rise by almost 50 per cent from its current 173,000 at the peak of construction. It will eventually house 19,000 Marines who will be relocated from the Japanese island of Okinawa, where the US force has become unpopular.

The US's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has said that this could trigger serious water shortages. The EPA said that dredging the harbour to allow an aircraft carrier to berth would damage 71 acres of pristine coral reefs. The EPA's report said the build-up would "exacerbate existing substandard environmental conditions on Guam".

Local residents' concerns, however, have been sidelined by the US-China strategic competition. China has significantly expanded its fleet during the past decade, seeking to deter the US from intervening militarily in any future conflict over Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own, and to project power across disputed territories in the gas and oil-rich South China Sea.

Beijing's naval build-up is also intended secure the sea lanes from the Middle East, from where China will import an estimated 70-80 per cent of its oil needs by 2035 supplies it fears US could choke in the event of a conflict. China has therefore invested in what are called its "string of pearls" a network of bases strung along the Indian Ocean rim, like Hambantota in Sri Lanka and Gwadar in Pakistan and in developing a navy which can operate far from home.

Experts agree China does not currently have the capability to challenge US supremacy in the Pacific and Indian Ocean. "China has a large appetite", says Carl Ungerer, an analyst at Australian Strategic Policy Institute, "but it hasn't got enough teeth".  But China clearly intends to add bite to its naval arsenal. The country has acquired several modern Russian-made submarines and destroyers. Its shipyards are building new nuclear-powered submarines, as well as an aircraft carrier. There have also been reports that China is planning to test a new type of ballistic missile, the Dong Feng 21D, which would effectively render US carriers defenceless.

"China's charm offensive is over", says Ian Storey, an expert at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore, "and its given way to what you might call an adolescent foreign policy. The country's flexing its muscles, letting us know it won't be pushed around".

The US is also investing another £126 million on upgrading infrastructure at the British-owned Indian Ocean atoll of Diego Garcia, 700 miles south of Sri Lanka. Key among the upgrades at Diego Garcia, which are due for completion in 2013, will be the capability to repair a nuclear-powered guided-missile submarine which can carry up to 154 cruise missiles striking power equivalent to that of an entire US aircraft carrier battle group. Diego Garcia, which has served as a launch-pad for air strikes on Iraq and Afghanistan, is already home to one third of what the US navy calls its Afloat Prepositioned Force equipment kept on standby to support military deployment anywhere in the world.

Data on Some Dependencies Omitted in UN Documents

An important function of the United Nations (UN) is the compilation and publication of statistical information and indicators on economic and social development in countries around the planet. This data is valuable to governments, civil society, experts, researchers and individuals in the continual examination of economic and social trends in jurisdictions worldwide.

Inclusion of data on the Non-Independent Countries (NICs) is equally useful for those who follow developments in this unique set of non-sovereign countries. Generally, these NICs are so-defined because of their associate membership (or eligibility) in the respective UN regional economic commissions, but there are many others which exist under varying political and constitutional arrangements with larger countries.

The Non-Independent Countries (NICs)

Caribbean

There are ten Non-Independent Caribbean Countries (NICCs) which are associate members of the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), including seven classified by the UN as Non Self-Governing Territories (NSGTs) and three designated as Self-Governing Territories (SGTs). Thus, the United Kingdom - administered territories of Bermuda, Turks and Caicos Islands, Cayman Islands, Montserrat, British Virgin Islands and Anguilla join with the United States – administered US Virgin Islands as the seven NSGTs in the Caribbean. Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles in association with the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and U.S. – administered Puerto Rico constitute the SGT category (even as the level of self-government in Puerto Rico is subject to question). All but Bermuda are associate members of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).

Island jurisdictions such as Martinique, Guadeloupe and French Guiana which are overseas departments of France are not eligible for separate status in ECLAC because of their status as politically integrated with the French Republic - and by extension, the European Union. It is often the case that because of the size of their economy, and despite their integrated status, their data is included in international statistical documents.

Pacific

In the case of the Pacific, a similar situation applies. A number of the Non-Independent Pacific Countries (NIPCs) are associate members of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). The Non Self-Governing Territories (NSGTs) listed by the UN in the Pacific are the US-administered territories of American Samoa and Guam, the French –administered territory of New Caledonia and the New Zealand-administered territory of Tokelau. The Northern Mariana Islands with its autonomous arrangement (albeit in reversal) with the US, the autonomous French Polynesia, and the two freely associated states of the Cook Islands and Niue in their association arrangement with New Zealand, constitute the Self-Governing Territories (SGT) category on the Pacific side. Hong Kong and Macau are also included, as they remain associate members of ESCAP pursuant to the terms of the agreements between China and the United Kingdom governing the re-integration of those former territories.

Statistics for NICs

It is always useful to have the statistical indicators of these Non-Independent Countries (NICs) included in the UN statistical documentation as it facilitates economic and social analysis, and is helpful to international business in investment decision-making. It is encouraging that many of the UN statistical documents contain significant information on this group of countries. The lack of availability of data for many of the NICs is often a constraint since the level of statistical capacity in the NICs varies significantly. This has been identified as an area where international technical assistance could prove especially useful.

Another factor influencing the presentation of data may be the level of political awareness of the UN statistical researchers who may have to determine the ‘political correctness’ of separate inclusion of data on individual NICs. As the political and constitutional dynamics of these countries can be fairly complex, it should not be assumed that these expert technicians would also have access to expert political analysis on these issues.

UN Statistical Publications

Within this context, three UN statistical publications among many offer some insights into the presentation and availability of economic and social development data. The first publication is the Monthly Bulletin of Statistics which is published by the Statistics Division of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs. This is a highly useful reference with coverage of the ten Non-Independent Caribbean Countries (NICCs), while only omitting the small economies of Niue and Tokelau where data may not be as readily available. (It is to be noted, however, that some of this data may be accessed from the UN Development Programme which has historically provided services to both jurisdictions, or from ESCAP in which Niue enjoys associate membership).

The Monthly Bulletin of Statistics admirably exceeds the coverage of the recognised NICs by including non-independent countries and other jurisdictions with varying autonomous relationships with UN member states, and even several integrated parts of larger countries. Thus, data is available on the Aland Islands with its unique relationship with Norway, and the Faroe Islands and Greenland with their respective autonomous relationships within the Kingdom of Denmark. This is commendable since the economies of these territories warrant separate inclusion in their own right. It is also interesting that data is included on the French overseas departments of Guadeloupe, Martinique and Reunion, even as they are integrated parts of France. These outer-most areas of the French Republic (as it is termed) clearly fit the bill as individual economies, even as they are politically integrated, and not autonomous. Perhaps data on the US “outer-most areas” of Hawaii and Alaska should be included in future.

The second publication is the highly useful World Population Prospects document which is published by the Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs. The coverage of this document is not as complete as the Monthly Bulletin of Statistics published by the Statistics Division, and is interesting in its omissions as well as in its inclusions. Thus, the population document omits all of the United Kingdom-administered territories of Bermuda, Turks and Caicos Islands, Cayman Islands, Montserrat, British Virgin Islands and Anguilla. Data on US-administered American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands, New Zealand-administered-Tokelau, and the New Zealand associated countries of the Cook Islands and Niue are also missing. Nevertheless, these omitted economies are listed in the beginning of the publication which classify countries by major area and region of the world. Demographic information on these Non-Independent Countries (NICs) is readily available, however, from other agencies of the UN system, so their exclusion from the demographic document is puzzling, especially as the Population Division's two highly useful statistical charts on rural and urban population, respectively, complete extensive data on the NICs.

The third publication, and one of the most specialised UN statistical publications, is the Energy Statistics Yearbook. The aim of this publication is “to provide a global framework of comparable data on long-term trends in the supply of mainly commercial primary and secondary forms of energy.” The document is perhaps the most intriguing of the three in terms of how it treats island countries, especially the NICs.

In the Country Nomenclature explanation at the beginning of the text, it is explained that statistics for the United States includes the 50 states and the District of Columbia, and oil statistics as well as for coal trade statistics, also include Puerto Rico, Guam, the US Virgin Islands, American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands. The explanation also inexplicably indicates that the Pacific Islands used for military purposes - Johnston Atoll, Midway Islands and Wake Island –– were also subsumed under the US statistics. More on this later.

In the statistical tables of the energy document, data for the Caribbean and Central America is in the North American region (an interesting interpretation of the political cartography). In tables 1-3 of the document on production, trade and consumption of commercial energy, data for all of the UK-administered territories except the Turks and Caicos Islands is listed, along with statistics for Aruba, the Netherlands Antilles, Puerto Rico, Greenland, Martinique and Guadeloupe. Data for the Falkland Islands (Malvinas) and French Guiana are appropriately listed in the South America category, with Hong Kong and Macau statistics also properly listed under Asia. The Faroe Islands is under Europe. The Pacific category includes data for the Cook Islands, French Polynesia, New Caledonia and Niue. Data is also included for Gibraltar (in the European section), and St. Helena (in the African section).

It is in table 14 on the production, trade and consumption of crude petroleum that has raised eyebrows, and returns attention to the beginning of the document where it was indicated that data for the US-administered territories is subsumed under the US statistical totals. In this regard, only data on Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles, of all of the non-independent countries (NICs), is made available. Data on Martinique also appears, even as this is not a country, non-independent or otherwise, but is a part of the EU. Table 15 on international trade of crude petroleum does not even include the few NICs listed in table 14. A subsequent table on refinery distillation capacity only includes Aruba and Martinique.

Invariably, of the 38 tables included in the document, data on the NICs is included primarily when energy consumption is addressed. In the areas of energy production, however, data on the NICs is absent. Thus, in the case of oil statistics, the data for the US-administered territories is included with the US statistics, providing no opportunity for an assessment of performance in this sector in the US-administered territories. This is clearly evident in the specific tables dealing with refinery distillation capacity, production, trade and consumption of gasoline where data on most of the NICs appears, except for the US -administered territories.

The exclusion of oil production and trade statistics is puzzling given that the US Virgin Islands maintains the largest oil refinery in the Western Hemisphere, with significant refining capacity, imports of crude, and exports of refined petroleum products to the US and other markets. The five US – administered territories, with the exception of Puerto Rico, are also not within the customs zone of the United States, so are therefore separate economies. All warrant separate attention, notwithstanding the arbitrary decision to exclude their data – unless, of course, the decision was not so arbitrary.

The decision to include separate data for NICs, or to include that data in the statistics of the larger country with which the territory has a political relationship, should be made carefully, based on established principles. All efforts should be made to provide separate data for NICs if the document is to have validity and meaning to those who look to UN studies for information. Such decisions should not be left to chance or misinterpretation, nor subject to any unilateral political direction. Such omissions detract from otherwise excellent UN documents.