On Thursday, China urged the United States to stop pressuring Latin American countries and to respect their right to independently decide their international relations.
“China firmly supports Latin American countries in their stance against foreign interference and their efforts to defend national sovereignty,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said.
“The United States should not ignore or act dismissively in response to the legitimate concerns and just demands of Latin American nations,” he added.
Prior to the remarks, outlets including The Economist and The New York Times reported that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump was pressuring Latin American nations to scale back ties with Beijing.
Arguing that China engages in “exploitative practices,” Washington wants Latin American countries to reduce their economic, cultural and political connections with China. Nevertheless, U.S. pressure has had limited effect and, in some cases, has strengthened Latam governments’ engagement with Beijing.
The U.S. stance “once again shows that pressure and coercion policies lack support and are increasingly unviable,” Lin said.
“China and Latin America are good friends and good partners on an equal footing, characterized by openness, inclusiveness and mutually beneficial cooperation. Our cooperation responds to the will of the people and the common interests of both sides,” he added.
“Latin America and the Caribbean are not anyone’s ‘backyard’ and have the right to independently choose their development path and cooperation partners,” the Chinese diplomat stressed.
Lin also urged the United States to “stop coercing Latin American countries to take sides, stop interfering in their internal affairs and contribute concrete actions that support their development and prosperity, instead of sowing discord and issuing orders.”
