Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture

Knowledge management

Chelston Brathwaite launches “Memories of China”: a book that sheds light on the role of this Asian country in the 21st century

Tiempo de lectura: 3 mins.

Brathwaite—the IICA Director General from 2002 and 2010—who later served as Ambassador to China for his country, Barbados, provides an essential view of the economic rise of the Popular Republic of China from a perspective that is at once Caribbean and universal.

Chelston Brathwaite

San Jose, 16 March 2021 (IICA). Chelston Brathwaite was Barbados’ Ambassador to China for four years and has shared his experiences in a book that offers an essential view of the current reality of the Asian giant and its social, economic and political impact on the 21st century world, as seen through the eyes of our region.

The attractive personal account, as Caribbean as it is universal, assists in understanding the transformation and modernization of a country that over just a few decades became the number two economy in the world.

In his book, Brathwaite, who was the representative of his Caribbean country to China between 2014 and 2017, attempts to dispel the myths and misunderstandings that abound about China in the western world.

As such, the decision to write and publish Memories of China was based on the belief that the opportunity to live for four years in the most populous country in the world is a privilege that not many people have and that the fascinating experiences lived and lessons learned should be shared.

One of the reasons that inspired the author to write the book was the realization that his countrymen who visited China for short periods would admit that they were leaving with a completely different view of the Asian country than the one they had upon their arrival.

Prior to being the second resident Barbadian Ambassador to China, Brathwaite was Director General of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) between 2002 and 2010. On ending his term at the helm of the organization, he was named Director General Emeritus by delegates from 33 countries in the Americas, due to his contribution to agriculture and the improvement of rural life in the hemisphere.

“My stay in China”, explained Brathwaite, “did not just teach me about China. I also learned that we in Barbados, and probably in the Caribbean, are at the start of a long journey – a journey to understand the world of the 21st century. This is a world that is increasingly diverse and complex, in which development and modernization are not confined to North America and Western Europe but are taking place in many nations of the developing world. A world in which Asian countries, led by China, are becoming substantial players in the economy, politics and affairs at the international level”.

Brathwaite does not adopt any ideological position in his book, nor does he assess the advantages of disadvantages of different government systems; he relates what he saw, heard and read during his experience in China. His extraordinary experience is shared in a text where he pours out his own thoughts about what he observed, while also leaving the readers room for interpretation.

Portada del libro

He relates visits to different regions in China—including Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tianjin, Fuzhou, Xi’an and Suzhou—providing a snapshot of the history and culture of the country.

The author recalls his attendance at a traditional wedding, his meeting with President Xi Jinping, and visits to Tiananmen Square, the Great Wall of China and the famous archaeological site, the Terracotta Warriors.

Brathwaite stresses the need to understand the recent economic, social and political process of China.

“In this challenging world of the 21st century”, he maintains, “the success of China in building a ‘moderately prosperous’ society for its people and in lifting millions of people out of poverty over the last 35 years has become a beacon of hope and a source of inspiration”.

“Memories of China” in Amazon.

More information:
Institutional Communication Division of IICA.
comunicacion.institucional@iica.int

 

Share

Related news​

San José, Costa Rica

September 10, 2025

Erick Geovany Ac Tot, a cocoa entrepreneur who promotes high-quality cocoa and the preservation of ancestral trees in Guatemala, is named an IICA Leader of Rurality 

Erick Geovany Ac Tot—a prominent Guatemalan cocoa entrepreneur who has been assisting small farmer organizations, promoting high-quality cocoa production and preserving heirloom trees for years, in addition to being a cocoa taster—has been named a Leader of Rurality of the Americas by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA). 

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins

Durante el llamado Diálogo Regional sobre Innovaciones para la Adaptación Climática de pequeños productores del Corredor Seco Centroamericano, los participantes discutieron temas clave como ganadería resiliente, agroforestería, innovación productiva y medidas de adaptación frente a sequías, inundaciones y otros eventos climáticos.

San Salvador

September 9, 2025

In El Salvador, Leaders of Rurality of the Americas shared experiences and engaged in dialogue with youth and specialists on ways to strengthen productivity in the Central American Dry Corridor

The leaders who participated in the meeting were Macarena Valdés and Marco Aceituno from Chile; Elvia Monzón, Gustavo Rivas and Erick Ac from Guatemala; Katy Moncada and Eodora Méndez from Honduras; and Odette Varela and Salomón Zelada from El Salvador.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins

Santa Fé, Darién, Panamá

September 4, 2025

Coordination between IICA and Panamanian and U.S. government authorities bolsters the fight against New World screwworm in Central America and Mexico

As part of the efforts to curb the spread of the New World screwworm (NWS), a current health threat in Central America and Mexico, the Ministry of Agricultural Development (MIDA) of Panama, the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and the Panama-United States Commission for the Eradication and Prevention of Screwworm (COPEG) organized a meeting with livestock farmers in the city of Santa Fé de Darién to strengthen health surveillance and better protect local livestock production.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins