Several matters relating to Jamaica’s foreign and trade relations including claims of espionage by US Ambassador Donald Tapia by the Chinese were on Tuesday raised at the Ministry of Foreign Affair‘s first annual virtual press briefing.
The Foreign Affairs Minister, Kamina Johnson-Smith, also sought to address developments relating to the new US administration and plans to relocate to its multi-million dollar headquarters in Downtown, Kingston.
Foreign Affairs Minister says, there isn’t any evidence to support Chinese espionage allegations in Jamaica as suggested by US Ambassador Donald Tapia recently. As such she says, there is no need for her to summon the Chinese Ambassador, to Jamaica, to address the claims.
Her declaration comes in light of claims by Tapia that Chinese agents are eavesdropping on mobile telephone calls made by Jamaicans on a local network.
He has also alleged that the network’s CEO at the time told him, the company was aware that the Chinese were listening to his mobile conversations in Jamaica, in 2020.
The telecoms provider has since refuted the claim.
As it relates to expectations of the relationship between the new Biden-Harris administration and the Jamaican government, Johnson-Smith says,
“Jamaica and the United States have a partnership and a strong cooperative relationship which has subsisted across administrations on both sides and not withstanding any changes of personality or approach. Jamaica continues to work with the United States as a valued partner as we do with other valued partners.”
Meanwhile, Senator Johnson-Smith says the Ministry will relocate its offices in New Kingston to its new headquarters at 20 Port Royal Street, Downtown Kingston, in the first quarter of this calendar year.
Construction of the building was completed and handed over to the Ministry in October 2019. The Government had set aside a sum of approximately $83 million to furnish the new building in this fiscal year.
Minister Johnson-Smith says an updated figure for the expenditure will be given when the next budget is presented.
