Analysis China maps new road to Latin America to rival and check US influence
President Xi Jinping’s week of state visits sets the course for developing ties in the region but may have targeted Washington and Taipei, too
China laid out a new roadmap for its relations with Latin American and Caribbean countries in a strategic push to expand its clout in the US backyard, as President Xi Jinping wrapped up his high-profiled visits there.
However, Beijing said that its relations with the southern hemisphere continent will also aim to safeguard the current international order, but not target any country, a veiled reference to US, which has traditionally played a dominated role in the continent’s affairs.
“The comprehensive and cooperative partnership between China and Latin America and the Caribbean is oriented towards common development. It does not target or exclude any third party,” said a Chinese government document, entitled: China’s Policy Paper on Latin America and the Caribbean.
The document charts the course for the future cooperation in wide range areas, ranging from politics, diplomacy, military, security, trade, investment, climate and internet.
Xi concluded his state visits to Ecuador, Peru and Chile from November 17 to 23 and attend the summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation from November 19 to 20 in Lima, capital city of Peru.
Analysts said the document aims to deepen and upgrade China’s cooperation with countries in the continent in effort to rival and check US influence, which is declining there. Xi’s visits came at a time when many analysts believed that Donald Trump’s victory would chill US-Latin American ties as the US president-elect had vowed to scrap regional trade deals, build a wall on the border with Mexico and deport undocumented immigrants.