Platinum Pulse
Why Russia, China, and America Are All Fighting Over Jamaica
In December 2014, the Jamaican government sold its last remaining stake in one of the island's most important mining operations. The buyer was a Russian company. The price was eleven million dollars. Jamaica didn't sell because it wanted to — it sold because it owed the buyer money. Two years later, that same Russian company sold a different Jamaican refinery to a Chinese state-owned corporation for $299 million. Jamaica had no ownership stake in either deal.
This video breaks down how three superpowers — Russia, China, and the United States — ended up embedded in the economy of a Caribbean island with fewer than three million people. Russia owns 100% of a strategic alumina mining operation that earns $164 million per year. China has provided over $2.1 billion in infrastructure financing, built the island's major highway under a 50-year toll concession, and just won a $320 million contract to expand Jamaica's most important port. The United States is Jamaica's largest trading partner with over $3 billion in bilateral trade but offers development assistance in the tens of millions while China and Russia operate in the billions.
And then, on October 28, 2025, Hurricane Melissa made landfall as the strongest hurricane in Jamaica's recorded history. The damage exceeded $12.2 billion — 56.7% of the country's entire GDP. More than four times the cost of Hurricane Gilbert in 1988.
Now the question is: who rebuilds Jamaica? And at what price?
This documentary covers Jamaica's bauxite mining history, RUSAL and Windalco, JISCO and Alpart, China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), the North-South Highway, the Goat Islands controversy, the Port of Kingston, the CK Hutchison-BlackRock port deal, the 2018 RUSAL sanctions crisis, Hurricane Melissa's devastation, and Jamaica's impossible balancing act between Washington, Moscow, and Beijing.
Sources cited in this video include the U.S. State Department, World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, Jamaica's Planning Institute (PIOJ), Jamaica Information Service (JIS), Jamaica Gleaner, Jamaica Observer, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), AidData, Dialogue Earth, CBC News, Yale Climate Connections, Moody's RMS, and UN COMTRADE.
DISCLAIMER: This video is for educational and informational purposes only. All facts, statistics, and quotes are sourced from publicly available reports, government publications, and reputable news outlets. This content does not constitute financial, legal, or political advice. Views presented reflect documented positions of the parties involved and do not necessarily represent the views of this channel.
SOURCES:
- U.S. State Department — Jamaica Bilateral Relations Factsheet
- U.S. Trade.gov — Jamaica Trade Summary 2024
- USDA Foreign Agricultural Service — Jamaica Exporter Guide 2025
- World Bank — Hurricane Melissa Damage Assessment (November 2025)
- Inter-American Development Bank — Joint Support Package (December 2025)
- Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) — Economic and Social Survey 2024; Hurricane Melissa Final Assessment (March 2026)
- Jamaica Information Service (JIS) — Official Government Statements
- Jamaica Gleaner — RUSAL/WINDALCO Coverage; JISCO Investment Reports
- Jamaica Observer — China ODA Data; Hurricane Melissa Coverage
- Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) — "No Safe Harbor" Port Risk Report (June 2025)
- AidData — Jamaica Development Infrastructure Programme Audit Records
- Dialogue Earth / Diálogo Chino — JISCO Environmental Investigation (2023)
- CBC News — China-Jamaica Infrastructure Analysis (2019)
- Yale Climate Connections — Hurricane Melissa Climate Analysis
- Moody's RMS — Hurricane Melissa Loss Estimates (November 2025)
- UN COMTRADE via Trading Economics — Jamaica Trade Data
- Inter-American Dialogue / People's Map of Global China — Chinese FDI and Loan Data
- Bank of Jamaica — Remittance Data 2024
- CIMSEC — US-Jamaica Defense Cooperation (April 2025)
- Seetao — Kingston Port Expansion Contract (July 2025)
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DISCLAIMER:
This video is produced for educational and informational purposes only. All facts, statistics, dates, and quotes presented are sourced from publicly available government reports, international organization publications, and reputable news outlets as cited. This content does not constitute financial, legal, or political advice. The views and positions presented in this video reflect the documented statements of the individuals and organizations involved and do not necessarily represent the editorial position of this channel. Viewer discretion is advised.
#Jamaica #Geopolitics #Russia #China #America #RUSAL #Bauxite #CaribbeanGeopolitics #HurricaneMelissa #Kingston #BeltAndRoad #ColdWar #Documentary
Published Jun 4, 2026
