The Trump administration is considering the national security implications if China steps in and tries to help the Bahamas rebuild after the destruction left by Hurricane Dorian, Axios is reporting.
China already has invested in ports, railways, power grids, gas pipelines and other infrastructure projects throughout Asia, Europe and Africa. Now, it has the opportunity to do the same in the Bahamas – just off U.S. waters, Axios noted in a report posted on Thursday.
Although President Donald Trump has tried to limit the reach of Chinese telecom giant Huawei in the U.S., the firm has invested in telecom infrastructure and hardware in Caribbean nations, including the Bahamas, And Axios noted huge portions of wiring in the Bahamas have been destroyed by the storm.
U.S. officials said it is too early for detailed talks how the China-Bahamas scenario could play out, but they do say it will be part of the equation in future conversations after the initial response to the hurricane’s destruction, according to Axios.
Earlier this year, in advance of a meeting with Bahamian Prime Minister Hubert Minnis and other Caribbean leaders, the White House said Trump is “working with countries in the region to strengthen our security cooperation and counter China’s predatory economic practices."
As many as 13,000 homes in the Bahamas may have been destroyed or had suffered severe damage. And a massive relief effort was underway with volunteers ferrying supplies to the islands in a flotilla of boats.
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