Caribbean Journey
Jamaica's Secret Masterplan to Defeat China's DebtTrap
China controls the port that moves more than 60% of Caribbean cargo. That port is not in China. It's in Kingston, Jamaica.
In a 2025 report, the Center for Strategic and International Studies rated the Port of Kingston as the single riskiest Chinese operated port in the entire Western Hemisphere higher than any port in Panama, higher than Manzanillo in Mexico.
This documentary tracks the full record of China's infrastructure presence in Jamaica: what was built, what was signed, what was transferred, what the terms actually say, and what it means for every Jamaican in the diaspora in London, New York, Toronto, and Miami.
WHAT THIS VIDEO COVERS
▸ The Edward Seaga Highway a US$730M deal that gave China a 50-year toll concession and 1,200 acres of Jamaican state land
▸ The Jamaica Development Infrastructure Programme a US$400M road rehabilitation programme that the Office of Contractor General investigated in 2011
▸ The Southern Coastal Highway Improvement Project originally budgeted at US$384M, now confirmed at US$575M
▸ The Montego Bay Perimeter Road a US$354M project funded by Jamaican taxpayers, with CHEC as contractor
▸ The Port of Kingston how China Merchants Port Holdings acquired full control of a 30-year port concession running to 2045
▸ The CHEC port expansion contract US$320M awarded in June 2025 to expand the same port China now operates
▸ JISCO and the Alpart bauxite refinery closed since 2019, with communities in St Elizabeth still waiting for it to reopen
▸ The Western Children and Adolescent Hospital in Montego Bay a gift from China that is still not open, six years after ground was broken
▸ The Caymanas Special Economic Zone Jamaica's logistics hub ambition and its dependence on Chinese-built infrastructure
▸ The US response, the geopolitical stakes, and what the Jamaica story means for every Caribbean nation currently negotiating with China
ALL FIGURES VERIFIED
Every statistic, contract value, quote, and date in this video is drawn from verified public sources: the Planning Institute of Jamaica, the Jamaica Information Service, the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, AidData, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the Jamaica Gleaner, the Jamaica Observer, and official government records.
DISCLAIMER
This video is produced for informational and documentary purposes. All facts, statistics, contract values, quotes, and dates presented are drawn from verified public sources listed above. This video does not advocate for or against any government, political party, or foreign power. All positions including those of the Jamaican government, the Chinese government, opposition parties, and independent analysts are represented as stated in the public record. Caribbean Journey does not take a political position on any of the bilateral agreements discussed. Viewers are encouraged to consult the primary sources listed above and form their own conclusions.
Caribbean Journey covers economic news, infrastructure development, geopolitics, and policy across the Caribbean with a focus on what these stories mean for the diaspora communities in the UK, North America, and beyond. Subscribe for documented, serious coverage of the region's most consequential economic developments.
Subscribe: https://youtube.com/@CaribbeanJourney1
#Jamaica #China #Caribbean #BeltAndRoad #CaribbeanEconomy #Jamaica2025 #ChinaJamaica #Megaprojects #PortOfKingston #JamaicaInfrastructure #CaribbbeanJourney #NewCaribbeanEconomy
Published Sep 6, 2026