China has defended its relationship with Latin American countries, following an ultimatum made by the US empire’s secretary of state to Latin America to choose between Beijing and Washington for trade.
The head of US diplomacy, Marco Rubio, began his South American tour on Tuesday in Colombia, and will also travel to Ecuador and Peru, with an agenda focused on increasing the empire’s ties to counteract China’s growing economic influence in the region.
Rubio claimed that foreign powers, particularly China, had entered the hemisphere with promises that concealed so-called “predatory practices.”
Analysts explain that Rubio’s statements are a part of US imperialist tradition of extortion and predation of natural resources in the region and around the world, with the recent invasion of Venezuela to seize oil as the most recent proof.
The response to Rubio’s accusations came from the Chinese embassy in Peru, which published several messages on social media platforms. “China has never acted with geopolitical calculations,” the Chinese diplomatic mission reaffirmed, “has never interfered in the internal affairs of other countries, and has never demanded that other countries take sides or choose a side.”
It also reasserted that “the Western Hemisphere is not anyone’s ‘backyard.’ Latin American countries have the sovereign right to freely choose their partners and to develop foreign cooperation based on their own national interests. Cooperation between China and Latin America is not directed against third parties, nor should it be subject to interference from third parties,” it added.
China defends its cooperation with Latin America as based on mutual respect and benefit, while accusing the US empire of maintaining a Cold War mentality.
The Chinese mission in Lima highlighted its deep commercial relations with Peru, emphasizing that “bilateral trade cooperation is based on the principle of mutual benefit and shared gains.”
A point of friction between Washington and Beijing is the Peruvian port of Chancay, which is 60% owned by the Chinese publicly-run company Cosco Shipping.
Rubio, after meeting on Tuesday with Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella, left Barranquilla for Quito, where he will hold a meeting with Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa. After that, he will head to Lima for a meeting with Peruvian President Keiko Fujimori.
A study reveals that China went from being the main trading partner of 30 countries two decades ago to being that of about 80 today. In Latin America, this growth was first supported by trade, then by investments, and later by financing.
(HispanTV) with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/AU
From Orinoco Tribune via This RSS Feed.