Social Commentator Pastor Claude O. Skelton-Cline has said the United States and the United Kingdom are not the future of the world. Photo: Internet Source

According to Pastor Claude O. Skelton-Cline countries in the Asian Pacifc region and China will lead the world. Photo: Internet Source

Pastor Claude O. Skelton-Cline during the November 25, 2025, airing of his radio show Honestly Speaking. Photo: Facebook

Speaking on Honestly Speaking on November 25, 2025, Skelton-Cline shared that for the first time in two decades, the United States passport is not ranked in the top ten most favoured passports in the world. 

According to the information he shared, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, France, Finland and the Netherlands are all ranked in the top ten. 

Skelton-Cline also shared that upon his return to the VI, he encouraged the people to learn Mandarin. 

He explained that Great Britain ruled the 19th century, the United States ruled the 20th century, and the 21st century is being led by the Asian Pacific countries and China. 

“I told you to learn Mandarin, ya’ll thought I was joking…here we are 14/15 how many years later, and the evidence is clear, it’s trending in the same direction. The Asian Pacific countries, where China will lead, will own the 21st century.”

The US & UK are not the future

Skelton-Cline added that China and the Asian Pacific countries are also investing in the African continent. 

“You will also see an accelerated pace in which many African countries and Africa as a continent is going to rise. The United Kingdom is not the future; it hasn’t been since World War II. The United States, as it sits today, is not the future and is not going to be.”

He said that he knows this might be shocking to some because of the “western propaganda that has been perpetrated on us in the name of news for the last 75 years and century”.

Skelton-Cline encouraged Virgin Islanders to follow the trends in both the economic and industry.

Why does it matter to the VI?

He said this matters to the VI because the conversation is leaning towards independence and self-determination; however, as a country, we keep looking just to our next-door neighbours, the United States, as the answer. 

“They are not the answer.”

He also acknowledged that the VI is limited because of the United Kingdom. 

“The kind of diplomatic and other relationships that should be had can be had with emerging countries of the earth; we are limited to engage in any kind of conversation with them outside of the permission of the United Kingdom, which, under the current construct, will not be granted.”

This, therefore, leaves the VI, he said, “languishing” in the path of the empires that once were the singular powers of the world and are no longer, nor will they ever be. 

“We have to be about the future and the future is on the Asian Pacific, Africa and where China will lead…that’s the future our children and grandchildren are going to be reared in.”