'Chinese takeover unlikely' - Semaj scoffs at claims Jamaica could be captured

Renowned psychologist Leahcim Semaj is of the view that Jamaicans are too independent as a people to give up their sovereignty to the People's Republic of China.

Semaj's comments come on the heels of a video, which has been making the rounds on social media of pan-Africanist, Umar Johnson, making claims that Jamaica will be become a state of China very soon.

Johnson was speaking on a radio programme called The Breakfast Club in New York last Friday.

"The Chinese pretty much own Jamaica," Johnson said.

"The Jamaican Government is giving concession lands to the Chinese. They are building beach resorts, they are building two schools, and what the Jamaicans have to give them in return is the right to certain lands and waterways, and if it doesn't stop, Jamaica, the land of Marcus Garvey and Bob Marley, will become the first Chinese colony in the Caribbean."

Johnson's utterances have raised the eyebrows of many social media users who have shared the video of him making the comment more than 20,000 times. But Semaj believes that Johnson's conclusion is baseless.

"I have observed nothing in our political directorate that indicates that our politicians would give up their independence for anything in return," Semaj said.

"Our leaders have tried to negotiate the best terms so we can get the infrastructure work done by people who have a good track record of doing these things."

"The problem with the Internet is that a lot of people take what is circulating on the Internet as truth," Semaj said.