A Chinese hospital ship quietly docked in hurricane-hit Jamaica this week, projecting soft power into the heart of the Caribbean, where a US armada is conducting a controversial anti-narcotics mission targeted at Venezuela.
The Silk Road Ark, a massive Chinese navy vessel with 300 hospital beds, and about 100 doctors and support staff, is a symbol of Beijing’s outreach to the Caribbean region, one of the last bastions of diplomatic support for its rival Taiwan.
The floating hospital on Thursday arrived at the Port of Montego Bay, as the island struggled to recover from Hurricane Melissa. The storm tore across Jamaica in late October, killing more than 45 people, destroying hospitals and causing at least US$9 billion in damage.
Photo: AP
Jamaica very much needs the vessel “because of the challenges we face,” Jamaican Minister of Health and Wellness Christopher Tufton said. “This is another big development that shows the spirit of friendship and partnership.”
The US has also played a prominent role in Jamaica’s recovery efforts, with US President Donald Trump’s administration pledging more than US$22 million in aid.
However, the US Navy’s two largest medical ships, the USNS Mercy and USNS Comfort, are docked at US ports.
In the hours and days after the hurricane, US Chinook helicopters criss-crossed the sky dropping food and water for communities cut off by the storm, said Wayne Chen, chairman of the southern regional health authority.
“The vast majority of Jamaicans have been very happy and gratified to see the outpouring of international assistance both from our traditional friends, governments, foundations and private groups,” Chen said.
El Salvador sent more than 300 troops to help with the clean up, while the UK and Venezuela provided tangible aid, he said.
Beijing’s timing was fortuitous. The Silk Road Ark left China in early September and had already planned to visit Jamaica, along with Barbados, Brazil, Peru, Chile and other countries in the region, but it adjusted its schedule as the hurricane toll became clear.
The USNS Comfort, by contrast, finished its tour of the Caribbean — but not Jamaica — in August.
China’s hospital ship will perform cataract and hernia surgeries, CT scans and ultrasounds, and bloodwork diagnostics, Jamaican health authorities said.
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