China has launched a sharp attack on the role of the United States in creating and perpetuating the political chaos and humanitarian disaster gripping the Caribbean state of Haiti and in the immiseration of its people.
Addressing a meeting of the United Nations Security Council in New York, called to hear briefings on the work of BINUH (the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti) on April 21, Chinese Ambassador Geng Shuang made three points:
- First, Haiti must shoulder its own responsibility. As a sovereign state, Haiti bears the primary responsibility of governance. “We call on all parties in Haiti to prioritise the interest of the nation and its people, enhance dialogue and consultation, demonstrate flexibility, and work together to advance a political process that is Haitian-led and Haitian-owned, with the goal of establishing a legitimate, effective, and responsible government at an early date.”
- Second, external support must be effective. “On the political process, we need to support CARICOM [the Caribbean Community] and BINUH in continuing their good offices to accelerate the implementation of a transitional arrangement that is aligned with the realities of Haiti and is widely recognised… On humanitarian assistance, it is necessary to mobilise the resources of the international community and encourage all parties to continue to provide more assistance to the Haitian people to alleviate their sufferings.”
However, by far his strongest and most substantive comments addressed the role and responsibility of the United States:
“Third, the instigator of the crisis must shoulder its responsibility. Haiti was the first Latin American country to declare independence. However, it has then suffered many hardships due to a long period of military occupation, external interference, and economic exploitation. Throughout this process, the United States has been the greatest external factor affecting Haiti’s security, stability, and development.
“The US has always been the mastermind behind the political landscape in Haiti. For over a century, it has blatantly deployed troops, installed puppet governments, and manipulated Haiti’s constitution, entrenching itself in Haiti’s political affairs.”
He went on to say that the United States has always been a major source of interference in Haiti’s development. While it claims to support the Haitian people, it has significantly cut foreign aid and continued deporting Haitian immigrants on the pretext of national priorities precisely when Haiti is in dire need of support. What is even more shocking is that not long ago, while the US defied world opinion by imposing sweeping tariffs on all trade partners, it also extended its so-called baseline tariff of 10% to Haiti, one of the world’s least developed countries as defined by the UN. This display of unilateralism, protectionism, and economic bullying is not just aimed at the so-called competitors like China. It has also inflicted damage on a nation teetering on the edge of collapse, such as a fragile country like Haiti, where the people are in dire straits. This is not only cruel and absurd, but also profoundly heartbreaking.
“We hope that the US will reflect on all of the above. Haiti’s future should not be sacrificed to the US pursuit of its own strategic interests, nor should ‘being too close to the US’ become a curse for Haiti.”
Reporting on the meeting, Peoples Dispatch quoted Maria Isabel Salvador, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General for Haiti and Head of BINUH, as saying that, in February and March alone, 1,086 people were killed, 383 were injured, and more than 60,000 were forcibly displaced. Since December of last year, one million people have been displaced.
“The humanitarian crisis in Haiti has reached critical levels… Cholera outbreaks and gender-based violence – especially in places of displacement – are widespread; insecurity has closed 39 health facilities and more than 900 schools in [the capital] Port-au-Prince,” she told the meeting.
Haiti has yet to establish diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China. However, the two countries maintain representative and trade offices in their respective capitals.
The following articles were originally published on the website of China’s Permanent Mission to the UN and by Peoples Dispatch. The Peoples Dispatch article was first published by Brasil de Fato in Portuguese.
Remarks on BINUH by Ambassador Geng Shuang at the UN Security Council Briefing
President,
I thank Special Representative Maria Isabel Salvador and National Security Advisor Monica Juma for their briefings. I welcome the representatives of Haiti and the Dominican Republic at today’s meeting. I have also listened carefully to the statement made by the civil society representative.
China is deeply concerned about Haiti’s worsening crisis and rampant gang violence, the near collapse of the state, and the desperate situation of the population. I would like to make three points.
First, Haiti must shoulder its own responsibility. As a sovereign state, Haiti bears the primary responsibility of governance. However, amid the ongoing political deadlock, coupled with persistent division among parties and factions, there is little hope of holding a general election as scheduled. We call on all parties in Haiti to prioritize the interest of the nation and its people, enhance dialogue and consultation, demonstrate flexibility, and work together to advance a political process that is Haitian-led and Haitian-owned, with the goal of establishing a legitimate, effective, and responsible government at an early date. We urge the Haitian authorities to move away from the mindset of waiting, relying, and requesting. Instead, they must fulfill their duties with diligence, demonstrate a sense of responsibility and commitment, and prioritize limited resources towards security and well-being of the people, to address urgent challenges and steadily strengthen crisis response capability and resilience. This is the cornerstone of Haiti’s ability to navigate multiple crises effectively, and a necessary foundation for any external support to have an impact.
Second, external supports must be effective. The UN has been engaged in Haiti for three decades, deploying multiple PKOs and political missions. However, the outcomes have often fallen short relative to the scale of the efforts. It is essential to learn from past experience and address the root cause of the crisis and deliver assistance that is more targeted, practical, and results-oriented. On the political process, we need to support CARICOM and BINUH in continuing their good offices to accelerate the implementation of a transitional arrangement that is aligned with the realities of Haiti and is widely recognized. On security governance, it is important to encourage donors, regional countries, and regional organizations, among others, to deepen their cooperation with the Haitian authorities, and strengthen the role of the MSS mission. Efforts should be made to ensure the effective implementation of the Council’s arms embargo and curb the spread of illegal weapons and ammunition. On humanitarian assistance, it is necessary to mobilize the resources of the international community and encourage all parties to continue to provide more assistance to the Haitian people to alleviate their sufferings.
Third, the instigator of the crisis must shoulder its responsibility. Haiti was the first Latin American country to declare independence. However, it has then suffered many hardships due to a long period of military occupation, external interference, and economic exploitation. Throughout this process, the United States has been the greatest external factor affecting Haiti’s security, stability, and development.
The US has always been the mastermind behind the political landscape in Haiti. For over a century, it has blatantly deployed troops, installed puppet governments, and manipulated Haiti’s constitution, entrenching itself in Haiti’s political affairs. Just a year ago, the US orchestrated the current political transition arrangements in Haiti. Yet now, following a change in its own government, the US has turned a blind eye to that very transition, leaving Haiti mired in internal conflict and turmoil.
The US has always been the main source of weapons for Haiti. The reports of UNODC and the panel of experts of the sanctions committee have repeatedly pointed out this fact. Although the US agreed to the Security Council’s imposition of an territorial arms embargo on Haiti, it has always been perfunctory in its implementation, allowing illegal weapons to flow into Haiti from Florida. As a result, Haitian gangs are even better equipped than the Haitian national police.
The US has always been the de-facto architect on security matters in Haiti. In October 2023, it spearheaded the formation of the MSS mission, pledging financial support. However, in the past year and more, its actual contributions have been relatively limited. At one point, it even attempted to convert the mission into a UN PKO, citing a lack of funds, an apparent act to shift the burden onto the UN and its member states, treating them as little more than an ATM machine.
The US has always been a major source of interference in Haiti’s development. While it claims to support the Haitian people, it has significantly cut foreign aid and continued deporting Haitian immigrants on the pretext of national priorities precisely when Haiti is in dire need of support. What is even more shocking is that not long ago, while the US defied world opinion by imposing sweeping tariffs on all trade partners, it also extended its so-called baseline tariff of 10% to Haiti, one of the world’s least developed countries as defined by the UN. This display of unilateralism, protectionism, and economic bullying is not just aimed at the so-called competitors like China. It has also inflicted damage on a nation teetering on the edge of collapse, such as a fragile country like Haiti, where the people are in dire straits. This is not only cruel and absurd, but also profoundly heartbreaking.
We hope that the US will reflect on all of the above. Haiti’s future should not be sacrificed to the US pursuit of its own strategic interests, nor should “being too close to the US” become a curse for Haiti.
President,
China expresses its deep sympathy for the Haitian people in their time of hardship. We commend the efforts of BINUH and other multilateral organizations dedicated to supporting Haiti, and we welcome the constructive engagement of CARICOM and other countries in the region. We recognize the work of the MSS mission led by Kenya. The international community should maintain its support to help Haiti strengthen its institution and capacity, and advance towards the path of independence, self-reliance, and sustainable development. During this process, China stands ready to join all parties to continue playing a constructive role.
I thank you, President.
China condemns US for imposing tariffs on Haiti amid worsening crisis in the Caribbean country
“While claiming to support the Haitian people, [the United States] has significantly cut foreign aid and continued to deport Haitian immigrants under the pretext of national priorities, just when Haiti urgently needs support,” Geng Shuang, China’s deputy permanent representative to the United Nations (UN), said on Monday, April 21, at the Security Council.
“What is even more shocking is that … they also recently extended their so-called 10% basic tariff to Haiti, one of the least developed countries in the world,” the Chinese ambassador continued.
Geng said China is deeply concerned about the “worsening crisis in Haiti and the rampant gang violence, the near collapse of the state and the desperate situation of the people.”
The speech was made during a special session on the Caribbean country, where the special representative of the General Secretariat for Haiti, María Isabel Salvador, presented a report on the country, which has been suffering a territorial expansion of armed groups since January.
The imposition of tariffs was one of China’s complaints against the US at the Security Council. Along with it, the Chinese representative criticized the Trump administration’s cuts in foreign aid and the deportation of Haitian immigrants.
“This display of unilateralism, protectionism and economic bullying is not only aimed at so-called competitors, such as China … but also inflicts damage on a nation on the brink of collapse, such as Haiti, where the population is in dire straits,” he said.
“This is not only cruel and absurd, but also deeply moving,” Shuang concluded.
Report on Haiti
According to María Isabel Salvador, in February and March, 1,086 people were killed, 383 were injured, and more than 60,000 were forcibly displaced in the last two months. Since December of last year, one million people have been displaced.
“The humanitarian crisis in Haiti has reached critical levels,” said Salvador, who is also Head of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH, in French).
“Cholera outbreaks and gender-based violence – especially in places of displacement – are widespread; insecurity has closed 39 health facilities and more than 900 schools in Port-au-Prince,” the representative reported.
She warned that Haiti was approaching “a point of no return.” “As gang violence continues to spread to new areas of the country, Haitians are experiencing increasing levels of vulnerability and growing skepticism about the state’s ability to respond to their needs,” she said.
The role of the US in the crisis
Most of the speech by China’s deputy permanent representative to the UN was dedicated to denouncing the responsibility of the United States in the Haitian crisis. Of the three points listed by Geng, the last was that “the instigator of the crisis must assume responsibility,” in reference to the North American country.
“The United States has been the biggest external factor affecting Haiti’s security, stability and development” in the country’s history, Geng said.
“For more than a century, they [the US] have shamelessly mobilized troops, installed puppet governments and manipulated the Haitian constitution, meddling in the country’s political affairs,” the Chinese representative denounced.
China also denounced that the Americans have always been the “main source of weapons for Haiti.”
According to the 2024 report on the illegal arms trade in Haiti by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), gangs in the country have greater firepower than police forces, with the presence of US-made AR-15s, Israeli Galil assault rifles, and Russian AK-47s.
According to the report, there has been an increase in trafficking of increasingly sophisticated weapons since 2021.
Another criticism from China was the US’s meager contribution to the Multinational Security Support Mission (MMS) in Haiti. “In October 2023, they led the formation of the MMS mission, promising financial support. However, in the last year and the following years, their actual contributions have been relatively limited.”
In February of this year, Trump froze an additional USD 13 million by suspending all foreign aid for 90 days. “At one point, they even tried to convert the mission into a PKO [UN Peacekeeping Operation], citing a lack of funds, an apparent move to shift the burden onto the UN and its member states, treating them as little more than an ATM machine.”
This is because, as it is not a UN operation, MMS depends on voluntary contributions.
Other highlights on the situation in Haiti
The Chinese representative critically assessed the role of the United Nations, which has been operating in the country for more than three decades, but whose results “have often fallen short of the scale of its efforts.”
“It is essential to learn from past experience and address the root cause of the crisis, providing more targeted, practical and results-oriented assistance,” Geng continued.
He also advocated supporting CARICOM and BINUH in continuing their “good offices to accelerate the implementation of a transitional agreement aligned with the realities of Haiti and widely recognized.”
“We hope the US will reflect on all this,” Geng urged.
“Haiti’s future should not be sacrificed for the sake of the US pursuing its own strategic interests, nor should ‘being too close to the US’ become a curse for Haiti,” he concluded.
