In the aftermath of Barbados’ transition to a republic, a familiar theme has emerged claiming that the change only occurred because the People’s Republic of China was somehow behind the transition. This claim is based on the wrong-headed worldview that by retaining the British monarch, Barbados was somehow part of some kind of power block. For the same reason many have expressed surprise that Barbados has remained a member of the Commonwealth, despite the fact that the majority of Commonwealth members are today republics.
The view that the Commonwealth, or having the British monarch as head of state means that you are part of some kind of power block is essentially pining for the days of the British Empire. Member states of the Empire - even self-governing colonies or states - did not deal with nation states outside of the Empire. That was Britain’s job. As the Empire disintegrated following the second world war, this changed dramatically. For New Zealand and Australia, it means opening embassies for the first time in the United States.
The idea that having a citizen as head of state rejects this idea is farcical. The diplomatic straight-jacket of Empire has long been dispensed with, and as independent states Barbados, New Zealand and every other former colony of Britain is free to pursue its own diplomatic relations based on its own interests. Moreover, it is not a choice between one power block and another.
Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley was asked this very question when she was interviewed on BBC in August of this year. The Prime Minister made it clear that Barbados had had diplomatic relations with China for over 47 years, and it would be most unusual to ignore the fact that China has risen on the world stage since then, especially in terms of trade.
But that does not mean that Barbados’ republic transition is a product of that trade, and likewise for any republic transition in New Zealand. As Prime Minister Mottley neatly put it, their goal is to be “friends of all, satellites of none.”
Geopolitical reality has changed significantly for Barbados and Aotearoa since the Queen’s coronation in 1952. Especially since the 1970s, we have had to build our own relationships with the world. Colonial-era worldviews no longer serve our interests - it’s time we embraced our reality as an independent state, with diplomatic relations the world over, to ensure our continued independence.