Barbados became the world's newest republic on Tuesday midnight by coming out of the Queen's shadow and anointing Sandra Mason its first President.
Fifty-five years after independence from Britain, the Caribbean island nation finally broke all colonial bonds from the UK, which had first taken over the island nearly 400 years ago. Queen Elizabeth II is no longer the head of the State.
21-gun salute and National Anthem of Barbados pic.twitter.com/90ttwhLr7M
— Visit Barbados (@Barbados) November 30, 2021
The nation celebrated amidst a coronavirus curfew, firework displays and a 21-gun salute.
Prime Minister Mia Mottley honoured singer Rihanna at the celebrations by announcing the honour of 'the order of national hero of Barbados'. With the honour, Rihanna adds another feather to her cap as the grateful country in 2018 had already conferred on her the title of ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary.
Prince Charles was the guest of honour at the country's transition as Barbados took another step forward in its political evolution. It will, however, remain a part of the Commonwealth.
The British media has speculated whether Barbados' decision to move out of the Queen's shadow has anything to do with Chinese investment.
British newspaper, The Spectator says that China's activities seem to have influenced the Caribbean nation.
"Barbados has signed up to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), while an office to facilitate investment in Barbados has opened in Beijing. Prime Minister Mia Mottley calls President Xi ‘very engaging’. Barbados was among the first English-speaking Caribbean countries to establish ties with China and Beijing is now making millions of dollars’ worth of donations to the country’s armed forces", says The Spectator.
The newspaper lists out the Commonwealth countries which are now sending their officers for military training to China. It notes that Beijing is developing diplomatic and military relations with the nations of the Commonwealth.
Barbados has joined China's expanding network of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to invite investments for infrastructure development. Beijing has also opened an investment facilitation office in the country. The communist country is pumping in almost $530 million in the island nations to improve the quality of its infrastructure.
Barbados signed up for the BRI in 2019 almost alongside other Caribbean countries which were mulling the Chinese offer.
However, Prime Minister Mottley’s advisor on Investment, Avinash Persuad, has strongly criticised news emerging in the British media about Barbados' link to China.
Local newspaper Barbados Today quotes Persuad as saying: "Barbados is an independent sovereign country on the verge of becoming its own republic and we studiously defend our independence and we are not financially in hoc to any one particular player and we will make sure that we are not, because that will impact our ability to stand up for what is right when we need to”.
