NEWS & EVENTS

East Asia and a Changing Caribbean

On March 2nd, the Reischauer Center organized a seminar, moderated by Director Kent Calder, featuring Ambassador Richard Bernal, Former Ambassador of Jamaica to the United States; Dr. Francisco González, Associate Professor of International Political Economy and Latin American Politics at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies | SAIS; and Professor Margaret Myers, Director of the Asia and Latin America Program at Inter-American Dialogue. Following individual presentations, SAIS Reischauer Policy Research Fellow, Lauren Mosely, led a Q&A session with the panelists discussing the impacts of current events on oil trade, multilateral cooperation, and possible growth in public-private cooperation in the Caribbean region.

Many points were discussed throughout the seminar including the diverse history, political structures, and economic systems within the Caribbean; the differing attitudes and expectations between the U.S. and China when working with the region; as well as the role of the Caribbean in great power competition. During the Q&A session, the panelists discussed the future of China-Caribbean relations, Japan’s involvement in the region through JICA, the push towards digital accessibility, and potential oil exploration projects within the region. The seminar showcased the need for further focus on this region, especially with East Asia and the United States.