ExclusiveArgentina denies White House claim that it agrees with US over ‘predatory’ China trade policies, saying that was just Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ own view
- White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders had said Argentina’s views were in line with Trump’s regarding China’s trade practices
An Argentine government official rejected a claim by US President Donald Trump’s spokeswoman on Friday at the Group of 20 meeting in Buenos Aires that Argentina agreed with the US’ view that China’s trade practices were predatory.
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who had accompanied Trump to the breakfast meeting with Argentine President Mauricio Macri on Friday morning, said at the end of the meeting that Argentina’s views were in line with Trump’s regarding China’s trade practices.
“The two leaders reiterated their shared commitment to face regional challenges like Venezuela and predatory Chinese economic activity,” Sanders said.
But the Argentine official told the South China Morning Post: “That comment was not coordinated with the Argentinian government and it was not representative of Argentina’s view. It only reflected the person’s own view.”
“We value our relationship with China very much and have a very important commercial relationship with China,” said the official, who asked not to be named because he wasn’t authorised to speak publicly about the issue.