Dominican Republic's Growing Ties With Raises Concerns In Washington

As the United States seeks to reduce its reliance on Chinese manufacturing under the Trump administration's “America First” strategy, a key Caribbean neighbor appears to be drifting closer to Beijing, a development that could challenge U.S. interests in the region.

“The Dominican Republic is key to China’s strategy to isolate the U.S. in the Caribbean,” said former Florida Congressman Connie Mack IV in an interview with The Daily Signal.The Dominican Republic formally established diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China in 2018 under then-President Danilo Medina.

That same year, the country joined Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative and ceased recognition of Taiwan as an independent nation.According to a report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a Washington-based think tank, the Medina administration embraced Chinese support in multiple areas. These included Chinese-led training for Dominican diplomats, the creation of a Confucius Institute, the donation of 148 Chinese military and police vehicles, and plans for large-scale infrastructure development, including a port in Manzanillo and projects in energy generation.

Despite the Dominican Republic's long-standing ties to the United States, Medina never visited Washington during his eight-year presidency, while allowing China to open an office inside the Presidential Palace in Santo Domingo.Medina’s successor, President Luis Abinader, took a different approach when he assumed office in 2020, promising to prioritize relations with the United States and curtail China’s strategic influence.“If China wants to invest in nonstrategic areas of the Dominican government, its investment is welcome,” Abinader stated shortly after his inauguration. “But the Dominican government’s decision is to have a strategic alliance with the United States.”Nevertheless, progress in limiting Chinese involvement has been slow. While CSIS notes that China’s engagement under Abinader has been more restrained, diplomatic and economic relations between the two countries remain strong.

In 2022, Dominican officials met with their Chinese counterparts and expressed a willingness to “deepen practical cooperation with China and Chinese companies,” according to China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During the meeting, Dominican representatives also commended Chinese President Xi Jinping for his perceived role in promoting global peace and stability.

By 2023, the relationship extended to the defense sector. Dominican soldiers participated in military exercises in China’s Xinjiang region, an area widely condemned by human rights organizations for its internment of Uyghur Muslims, while senior officials held talks with Chinese leaders on political and economic coordination.Trade between the two nations has also surged.

In 2024, bilateral trade surpassed $5 billion, according to data from Trading Economics. In May, Dominican trade officials attended a forum focused on deepening economic ties between China and Latin America.The U.S. State Department describes the U.S.-Dominican relationship as “solid, but complex.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited the Dominican Republic on his first overseas trip in the Trump administration and met with Abinader as recently as May.But not all American officials are convinced that the Dominican government is aligned with U.S. interests.

Former Congressman Mack criticized the Biden administration for failing to counter the Dominican Republic’s growing alignment with China.“Under Joe Biden, the U.S. turned a blind eye to the Dominican Republic’s slouch towards Beijing,” Mack said. “The Rubio State Department cannot make the same mistake. They must remove the blinders they have about the current Dominican government.

They do not support the America First agenda.”The Dominican Republic’s location, just 800 miles from U.S. shores, and its growing economy make it a critical partner in the region. According to CSIS, it is essential that China’s activities in the country remain transparent and consistent with international norms.

“The U.S. has an interest in ensuring that the Dominican Republic’s interactions with the PRC are conducted within the framework of transparency, strong institutions, and a level playing field, and that PRC activities in the country do not undermine U.S.-Dominican security,” the think tank warned.