Free National Movement (FNM) candidate for Montagu Dionisio D'Aguilar said yesterday the government should not approve a $2.1 billion agri-fisheries joint venture proposal with the Chinese because it would give the Chinese too much control of Bahamian resources.

The Nassau Guardian revealed on Tuesday that the government gave the green light to its embassy in Beijing, China to further pursue a possible agriculture and fisheries partnership with the Chinese.

"I'm horrified at what I read in the papers yesterday," said D'Aguilar, who is a former director of Baha Mar.

"It seems as if the Bahamian government has surrendered over to the Chinese government.

"Here again is another example of the Chinese telling us what they want; Baha Mar was one example.

"They've taken over the Hilton; they already control a major company in Freeport; they already have us under their influence because of the loans to build the Airport Gateway Project and the port on Abaco, and here it is the government is considering ... entering into an arrangement with them to essentially take over the agricultural business and marine sector in Andros."

While there is no indication the government has given any approval for the proposed initiative with the Chinese, Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources V. Alfred Gray in an October 3 letter to Bahamas Ambassador to China Paul Andy Gomez provided authorization for him to pursue the further development of the initiative.

The minister also said in that letter, "The ministry believes that this initiative, which has been developed by the Embassy of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas to the People's Republic of China in consultation with certain Bahamian government agencies, is very progressive."

D'Aguilar said the control the Chinese government is exerting with its interest in The Bahamas is worrying.

"With the continual and constant selling of our resources and control of our resources to the Chinese government, we are becoming the 10th province of China," D'Aguilar said.

"It seems as if the Chinese ambassador is a government minister.

"... When you give so much control of your most important sector to a foreign government that does not operate by democratic principles, and is a dictatorship, it is a Communist country, they have a very long-term plan on what they want to do.

"If you don't agree with them and you don't fall in line with what they want you to do, they will squeeze that sector.

"For example, they have the Hilton, they will have Baha Mar and if we do something that they don't want us to do or don't agree with, they will drive down the prices of the hotel products that they are offering and thereby [make] other sectors of our hotel economy not viable, for example Atlantis, Sandals or Breezes.

"I think we should dismiss it out of hand.

"You are putting too much control in the hands of a foreign government."

According to the proposal, the initiative will entail the incorporation of 100 Bahamian companies under the Companies Act of 1992 and each of the 100 companies will be owned 50-50 by both China and by Bahamians or Bahamian entities.

It would see China or its substantive representatives contributing to the 100 participating companies, $2.1 billion in cash (for working capital), agricultural and farming equipment as well as skilled expertise.

Lease options will be available to each company for an additional 100 acres, provided certain clearly defined performance benchmarks are achieved.

Sloan Smith, Guardian Staff Reporter

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