Rising tensions between the United States and China have sparked clashes at the United Nations, sparking accusations of espionage and rumors of a global trade war.
In Latin America, hostilities have
recently sparked a public relations war that could provide intermittent
superpower ventilators and PPEs, screaming at China's deep-water fishing fleet
and Huawei in 5G networks. Fresh pressure to adopt technology.
Now, the United States appears to be
aiming to counter China's growing trade influence in the region, with the
program challenging Beijing's involvement in infrastructure development and
energy mega-projects.
On a recent visit to Suriname and Guyana -
both of which have recently made major oil discoveries by the sea. Mike Pompeo
turned to direct sales from US companies.
"No government action can undermine
the quality of products and services of US private companies," he said.
"We've seen the Chinese Communist Party invest in countries, and it all
looks great at the front end, and then it all falls apart when the political
costs involved become clear."
Pompeo - the first secretary of state to
visit any country - also used the opportunity to sign the two countries to sign
the US program for growth, often known as the US Chris. Its Spanish
translation, which seeks to "mobilize private sector investment" in
Latin America and the Caribbean.
The project can be seen’ as a direct
response to China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which has a 1.5tn foreign
and economic policy to establish maritime trade and infrastructure projects in
dozens of countries. I invest.
Nineteen countries in the region have
signed BRIs, including Chinese firms - many of which are partially state-owned
- major mining, energy and transport projects. Since 2005, Chinese-based firms
have invested 12 123 billion in the region and Chinese banks have borrowed 13
137 billion.
"It is clear that the United States
is reacting to the crisis. Rob Sutter, managing editor of Delago Chino, a
website specializing in Sino-Latin American relations, said Pompeo has
consistently criticized him for his understanding of the heavy burden of
Chinese infrastructure loans.
"Within China, a number of academics
have sought to see American cream as a unique area of influence in Latin
America - a new version of the Monroe ideology," he said.
In September 2018, the United States
recalled its top diplomats in Panama, El Salvador and the Dominican Republic
after severing all diplomatic ties with Taiwan and establishing ties with
China.
But since then, US pressure seems to have
increased, the BRI partnership has shrunk, and Chinese investment in strategic
countries such as Panama has plummeted.
The US CRIS program does not present a new
budget for regional infrastructure projects, but it does provide a name and
direction to US policy.
"BRI wants to build infrastructure
that supports Chinese interests. It is made by Chinese companies and Chinese
banks have made money on loans. American Chris, by contrast, deals with
business matters that make sense for the region and support good governance.
Sutar said China's investment depends
entirely on backroom dealings with Beijing. "In recent years, there has
been a major shift in the way Chinese firms invest in the region. Increasingly,
they invest in equities or form international consortiums to win competitive
tenders, such as the Bogota Metro system.
We urge Mr. Pompeo to respect the facts
and stop spreading rumors about China.
Chinese Embassy in Suriname
And while the United States is
ideologically open to investment from all countries, Colombian President Evan
Doc's program has been described’ as a "new phase of Plan Colombia,"
which has given ammunition to those who own it. See as a way to get lucrative
deals.
Under Colombia's 2000-16 plan, which
focused on tackling the country's twin guerrilla and drug trafficking problems,
most of the $10 billion aid went to US arms and security agencies.
US diplomatic efforts in Latin America
have revived in recent years, following a drop in the Obama administration's
list of US foreign policy priorities. Donald Trump has tried to win votes in
Florida by taking a hard line on socialist governments in Cuba and Venezuela,
but the need to resist China's "hunting trade practices" is one of
the few things that Republicans and Democrats agree.
The new, straightforward strategy seems to
be designed’ to counter China.
"We advise Mr. Pompeo to respect the
facts and the truth, to abandon arrogance and prejudice, about China.
Sutar said that while geopolitical rivals
seek to gain influence over natural resources, infrastructure and trade routes,
the best interests of Latin America itself can be’ ignored.
"Both the BRI and the US cream are
investing heavily in fossil fuel infrastructure, closing Latin America on a
high carbon footprint." The region is in dire need of post-Kwid
reconstruction, but if it is to reap permanent and long-term benefits, it must
move from low-carbon, climate-resilient growth. "
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