ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) – Prime Minister of Antigua Gaston Browne says the country will continue to defend its relationship with China despite any consequences, describing Beijing as the country’s most important development partner.

Speaking Thursday at the handover ceremony for the Chinese-funded Pelican Court housing development, Browne urged the country to defend the bilateral relationship in international forums and continue strengthening ties despite geopolitical pressure.

“There is no other country that has contributed more to our development than the People’s Republic of China during the last three decades,” Browne said.

He argued that China’s assistance over the past 30 years had helped the twin-island nation develop its economic and social infrastructure and improve living conditions, saying the country owed Beijing lasting gratitude for its support.

Browne said the partnership should continue even when defending it carried consequences.

“So let us continue to march on with China as our most important development partner,” he said.

His remarks came as officials marked the handover of Pelican Court, an EC$50 million housing development financed through a Chinese grant. The project comprises 150 two-bedroom homes and forms part of the redevelopment of Booby Alley in the Point community.

Browne described the development as China’s most socially impactful project in Antigua and Barbuda to date, citing its potential to improve the lives of vulnerable residents.

He thanked the Chinese government on behalf of the prospective residents and the wider country, saying the project reflected his administration’s commitment to improving living standards, including for the poorest members of society.

Browne said the redevelopment involved more than new buildings and climate-resilient construction, with its ultimate purpose being to improve the quality of life of the people who would live there.

He pledged to continue deepening relations with China, presenting Pelican Court as an example of the partnership’s contribution to Antigua and Barbuda’s development.