US and Chinese envoys in Argentina clash over influence in the region

A diplomatic row has erupted between the United States and China in Argentina, with both embassies trading public rebukes over their nations’ influence in the region.

China’s Embassy in Argentina on Monday published a statement blasting previous remarks by Washington’s Ambassador in Buenos Aires, Peter Lamelas. 

In an interview a few days earlier, Lamelas expressed concern over Beijing’s influence in the region, stating that successive US governments had been “sleeping” over the past half-century as Chinese influence grew in Latin America.

In its statement, China’s spokesperson in Buenos Aires expressed “strong discontent and resounding rejection” of Ambassador Lamelas’ remarks.

“Lamelas attacked and deliberately defamed the cooperation between China and Argentina,” said Embassy Spokesman Wang Wei in a communiqué published on social media.

‘Sneaked in’

During a visit to Salta Province, in Argentina’s north, last weekend, Ambassador Lamelas highlighted US concerns over China’s presence in Latin America in an interview with local newspaper El Tribuno. 

In the dialogue, he considered that Washington had “ignored” Latin America for the last 40 or 50 years, warning: “We did not pay attention and the Chinese sneaked in.”

Lamelas said the US had been “sleeping” for decades, but had now “woken up” thanks to Argentina’s President Javier Milei, US President Donald Trump and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.”

Now, said the ambassador, “we are paying attention to Latin America.”

“The Chinese are competition and have other interests, other values. We have to worry about that,” he added.

Beijing hit back, branding the comments unacceptable and old-fashioned.

Ambassador Lamelas’ commentary “ignores reality and is plagued with ideological prejudices, exposing the zero sum Cold War mentality still maintained by certain US sectors which urge confrontation between blocs and division into spheres of influence,” read the Chinese Embassy’s statement.

“In the international scenario of the 21st century, the old scripts of the 19th century must not be repeated. The course of Latin American countries must be chosen by its own peoples, they must decide with whom to cooperate and make friends,” the spokesperson’s statement continued.

‘Mutual benefit’

Links between China and Latin America and the Caribbean “are South-South cooperation based on mutual support without geopolitical calculations,” argued Wei in the statement.

“In its relationship with Argentina and other Latin American and Caribbean countries, China has always defended the principles of equality and mutual benefit and has never sought spheres of influence nor acted against third parties,” continued the spokesperson.

Turning to the bilateral relationship between the United States and China, the communiqué recalled that Trump himself “has made it clear that the bilateral relationship with China is the most important in the world, reiterating that China is his biggest partner and that he is ready to deepen the cooperation and links between both countries.”

The statement pointed to the depth of US-China economic links, noting that around 73,000 US firms operate in China with investment “topping US$1.2 trillion” and an annual growth rate of 9.8 percent. 

“The United States cannot apply its ‘America First’ policies and enjoy the benefits of cooperation with China, while at the same time applying hypocritical double standards criticising other countries which seek to do the same – i.e. cooperate with China,” the statement continued.

“We advise those interested to recognise the main trend in the modern world. Instead of going to the trouble of exaggerating the so-called ‘Chinese threat,’ it would be better to do something concrete for the development of Argentina and Latin American and Caribbean countries,” read the statement, which highlighted the short, medium and long term benefits of strategic diplomatic partnerships.

‘Manipulate’

The communiqué made direct allusions to Ambassador Lamelas’ statements, which had cautioned against drawing too close to Bejing.

“The whole world does business with China but when you’re dealing with them, you’re dealing with the Chinese government, not a private industry. It’s a system controlled by a Communist government, which uses that control to manipulate information and people,” said Lamelas in the El Tribuno interview.

Ambassador Lamelas – who formally assumed his post last November and has kept a relatively low profile since, granting few interviews – also warned that Chinese projects in sensitive sectors merit close scrutiny. 

“Argentina does business with all the world, I understand that. But I believe that when security, communications and key infrastructure are the issues, you have to worry about them,” he argued, discussing existing agreements with Beijing and Chinese firms.
 

– TIMES/NA