Skerrit goes to China

Call this the modern day Dominican version of the Orient Express, a quick and somewhat secretive journey to the Orient.

Call this an open display of closed politics, the head of government on yet another flying visit to China and hardly anyone here being the wiser.

Call this a clear demonstration of keeping people in the dark, but Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit's latest visit to Beijing has left a series of question marks. There are questions about when he left and for how long he'll be there. And, importantly, what he's doing there.

These are questions not even one of his cabinet ministers could answer.

"I think he's still up there or on his way back," this minister told The Sun mid-week last week. On why the prime minister was visiting the world's second-largest economy, the minister replied: "I'm not too sure."

It's also not clear who among his technocrats and advisers are accompanying the prime minister, but The Sun has confirmed that the Barbadian, Hartley Henry, a trusted servant of Skerrit, was in Beijing at the same time the prime minister was visiting the world's fastest-growing major economy.

"Hartley is on his way home from there," one person familiar with the Barbadian told The Sun. This person, who spoke to The Sun on condition of anonymity because of his profession, speculated that the prime minister must have been there in search of money.

"General fund raising," the person explained, "not necessarily for general election but for projects he might want them to finance."

Very much like the visit in 2004 during which the two countries signed a still somewhat secretive Memorandum of Understanding, this visit comes with all the stealth. He likely expects it to be just as efficacious. (Photo: Prime Minister Skerrit greeted by a young Chinese girl on an earlier visit to China)