Kari Lake sets out Jamaica priorities at Senate confirmation hearing

Kari Lake, President Donald Trump's nominee to serve as United States ambassador to Jamaica, told lawmakers on Thursday that she would work to strengthen security cooperation with Kingston and push back against China's expanding influence across the Caribbean if the Senate confirms her appointment.

Lake, a former television journalist and longstanding ally of the president, faced detailed questioning before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on trade, security, and regional competition. She said she would move swiftly once in post.

Central to her agenda, Lake said, is creating space for American companies to do business in Jamaica while addressing what she described as uneven competition from Beijing-linked firms. She told the committee that when the United States bids against the Chinese Communist Party or companies under its control, rivals often undercut American offers on contracts and tenders.

"We want to make sure that we're working with Jamaica to make sure that there's a level playing field so that American businesses have a real shot to do great work," she said. "We know that we provide better quality work. We hire Jamaicans and we want to make sure that we're assisting and also allowing for American companies to expand."

Lake also raised concern about Chinese involvement in Kingston's port infrastructure, saying Beijing holds a 49 per cent stake in one of the capital's key ports. "That puts us at risk," she said, adding that Washington must work with the Jamaican government to rebalance the arrangement.

She pointed to broader worries about China securing large sections of port capacity and to Huawei's expansion in 5G telecommunications. "There's always strings attached with China," Lake said, questioning whether sensitive information should pass through Huawei networks where data could flow back to authorities in Beijing.

On crime and violence, Lake pledged to work closely with Jamaican law enforcement as both countries continue efforts to strengthen ties against the illegal drug trade and lottery scamming.