“This is not only absurd and cruel, but also deeply heart-wrenching,” China’s deputy permanent representative to the United Nations (UN) Geng Shuang commented at a UN Security Council meeting on Haiti on Monday, when reacting to the US’ application of a so-called 10 percent baseline tariff to Haiti, one of the world’s poorest countries.”.
Recently, when the US flouted global opinion by slapping broad tariffs on all trading partners, including a supposed baseline tariff of 10 percent on Haiti, this show of unilateralism, protectionism, and economic intimidation is not exclusively directed at so-called rivals like China. It has also hurt a weak nation like Haiti, where people are desperate.
“This is not only offensive and wild, but also profoundly depressing,”
Geng said.
As Geng noted, Haiti was the foremost Latin American country to gain independent. Ever since, it has endured numerous challenges as a result of long military occupation, foreign intervention, and economic exploitation. Throughout this period, the US has been the most important outside force in influencing Haiti’s security, stability, and development.
It is said that the US is traditionally Haiti’s mastermind when it comes to politics. For more than a century, it has openly sent troops, planted puppet regimes, and interfered with Haiti’s constitution, digging itself into Haiti’s political life. Only last year, the US orchestrated the present political transition plans in Haiti. Now, however, after a change in its own administration, the US has conveniently ignored that very transition, and Haiti is left bogged down in internal strife and chaos.
Geng went on to say that the US has always been the principal supplier of weapons to Haiti. While the US signed off on the Security Council‘s placement of a territorial arms embargo on Haiti, it has always treated it in perfunctory fashion, which has enabled illicit weapons to reach Haiti from Florida.
In October 2023, it took the lead in establishing the Multinational Security Support Mission to Haiti and made a commitment to provide financial assistance. But in the last year, its real contributions have been fairly modest. At one stage, it even tried to turn the mission into a UN peacekeeping mission, invoking a lack of funds, seemingly a move to pass the buck to the UN and its member states, using them as nothing more than an ATM machine.?
The US has always intervened in Haiti’s development. Though it professes to be with the Haitian people, it has drastically reduced foreign aid and kept deporting Haitian immigrants under the guise of national priorities at the very moment Haiti needs help the most, says Geng.
“We would like the US to think through all the above. The US must not sacrifice Haiti’s future for its strategic interests, nor should too close ties with the US prove Haiti’s bane”, Geng said.
The Chinese envoy further emphasized that the international community must continue to assist Haiti in building its capacities and institutions, to advance towards independence, self-reliance, and sustainable development. China, he said, is willing to join all sides to continue playing a positive role.
