BCTA Hosts High-Level Closed-Door Investment Luncheon in Beijing

Beijing, October 10th, 2025 —

The Bahamas–China Trade Association (BCTA) successfully hosted a high-level Three Oceans Forum Closed-Door Investment Luncheon in Beijing, gathering senior figures from finance, law, policy research, and international business. The event explored how The Bahamas can strengthen its role as a neutral bridge linking capital and digital flows across Asia, Africa, and the Americas.

Under the theme “Investing Through The Bahamas: Finance, Law, and the Future of Globalization,” the luncheon addressed how emerging economies can assert digital sovereignty and reduce reliance on Western-controlled financial and data infrastructures—structures often compared to digital colonialism.

Key Contributions

Mr. Lester R. Cox (Wu Wei), Trade Attaché of The Bahamas and Coordinator of BCTA, delivered special remarks titled:

“From Paradise to Platform: How The Bahamas Is Building Bridges for a Multipolar World.”

He introduced the Three Oceans Strategy, which integrates the Atlantic Ocean, Digital Ocean, and Human Ocean into a unified architecture of trust, trade, and technology.

Distinguished scholar Prof. Marcus Vinícius de Freitas of the Policy Center for the New South provided a global perspective on digital colonialism vs. digital sovereignty, emphasizing why nations must regain control over financial flows, data ecosystems, and digital platforms to secure their economic future.

Chinese Financial Institutions Share Best Practices

Representatives from China Merchants Bank (CMB) shared China’s practical experience in digital finance and cross-border financial autonomy, illustrating how Chinese institutions are building independent digital platforms and RMB-based financial corridors to reduce dependency on the U.S. dollar system—providing an illustrative example of financial digital sovereignty in action.

Platform-State Vision

Discussions highlighted that digital sovereignty is not exclusive to major powers. Smaller yet strategically located economies—such as Singapore, Dubai, Nairobi, and The Bahamas—can leverage financial, digital, and legal infrastructures to function as platform states, anchoring global capital and data flows through trust-based ecosystems.

A Successful and Impactful Summit

The luncheon created meaningful dialogue among policymakers, business leaders, and innovators, demonstrating The Bahamas’ potential to become a global trust hub for finance, technology, and international cooperation.

The Bahamas–China Trade Association affirmed its commitment to deepening cross-border partnerships and advancing the Three Oceans Forum as a premier platform for international dialogue on digital sovereignty, platform economies, and global capital architecture.