{"id":505,"date":"2025-03-23T12:23:44","date_gmt":"2025-03-23T12:23:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/?p=505"},"modified":"2025-03-23T12:23:44","modified_gmt":"2025-03-23T12:23:44","slug":"china-has-undue-influence-in-caribbean-and-south-america-usa-is-being-encirled","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/china-has-undue-influence-in-caribbean-and-south-america-usa-is-being-encirled\/","title":{"rendered":"CHINA HAS UNDUE INFLUENCE IN CARIBBEAN AND SOUTH AMERICA, USA IS  BEING ENCIRLED"},"content":{"rendered":"<article id=\"header-container\" class=\"container\">\n<header class=\"article-header\">\n<h1>US Warns Over China&#8217;s Expansion on its Doorstep<\/h1>\n<\/header>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"article-body v_text\">\n<p>China&#8217;s growing presence in the Western Hemisphere is a threat to the United States, the U.S. State Department has told <em>Newsweek<\/em> in unusually stark comments.<\/p>\n<p>America&#8217;s top diplomat, Secretary of State <a class=\"multivariate\" href=\"https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/topic\/marco-rubio\" data-sys=\"1\">Marco Rubio<\/a>, has said that the U.S. is not ready to accept greater Chinese influence in the Americas, the spokesperson said. &#8220;As stated by Secretary Rubio, we can&#8217;t live in a world in which China has <a class=\"multivariate\" href=\"https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/2025\/01\/17\/china-space-infrastructure-us-latin-america-chile-argentina-1999644.html\">more influence and more presence<\/a> than we do in our region. The expanding role of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in the Western Hemisphere threatens U.S. interests.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The comments were made in response to queries from <em>Newsweek<\/em> about a planned joint space observatory in Chile between Chinese state scientific organizations and a private Chilean university. <em>Newsweek<\/em> detailed the observatory at Cerro Ventarrones in the Atacama Desert last December, reporting that parts of the project could be beyond the control of the Chilean authorities and that it could have dual-use\u2014both civilian and military\u2014purposes. This week the Chilean government told <em>Newsweek<\/em> that it was <a class=\"multivariate\" href=\"https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/chile-reviews-china-space-observatory-project-newsweek-investigation-2045792\">reviewing the agreement<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The State Department&#8217;s comments bring into sharp focus an increasingly fierce global competition for influence. China has expanded fast in the region, building or acquiring Latin American <a class=\"multivariate\" href=\"https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/china-news-xi-megaport-chancay-warships-1985770\">critical infrastructure<\/a> such as ports including in Panama and Peru, roads, dams, electricity grids, even expanding its space capabilities with at least 16 facilities in the region, according to <em>Newsweek<\/em> research. Some Latin American countries are economically dependent on China. Chile sends 40 percent of its exports to China including copper, fish and cherries.<\/p>\n<div id=\"dfp-ad-inarticle1-wrapper\" class=\"dfp-tag-wrapper dfp-ad-lazy dfp-ad-count\">\n<div id=\"dfp-ad-inarticle1\" class=\"dfp-tag-wrapper mpu-only unstick\"><iframe id=\"google_ads_iframe_\/22541732127\/newsweek\/inarticle1_1\" width=\"0\" height=\"0\" sandbox=\"allow-forms allow-pointer-lock allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation allow-presentation\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The Western Hemisphere encompasses a vast region stretching from Cape Horn at the southern end of the South American continent through to the Caribbean, Central America, the United States, Canada and Greenland.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"fullCode\">\n<div class=\"innerBox\">\n<div class=\"code\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Interactive or visual content\" src=\"https:\/\/flo.uri.sh\/story\/2990344\/embed\" width=\"700\" height=\"575\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>The Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C., denied that <a class=\"multivariate\" href=\"https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/topic\/china\">China<\/a> was engaging in geopolitical competition by expanding its presence in a region that traditionally has been under American influence.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;China-LAC cooperation is South-South cooperation,&#8221; the embassy told <em>Newsweek<\/em> in an email, referring to Latin American and the Caribbean. &#8220;There is only mutual support in this cooperation, no geopolitical calculations. In its engagement with LAC countries, China follows the principles of equality and mutual benefit, and never seeks sphere of influence or targets any party,&#8221; an embassy spokesperson said.<\/p>\n<div id=\"dfp-ad-inarticle2-wrapper\" class=\"dfp-tag-wrapper dfp-ad-lazy dfp-ad-count\">\n<div id=\"dfp-ad-inarticle2\" class=\"dfp-tag-wrapper mpu-only unstick\"><iframe id=\"google_ads_iframe_\/22541732127\/newsweek\/inarticle2_1\" width=\"0\" height=\"0\" sandbox=\"allow-forms allow-pointer-lock allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation allow-presentation\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#8220;What people in LAC countries want is to build their own home, not to become someone&#8217;s backyard; what they aspire to is independence and self-decision, not the <a class=\"multivariate\" href=\"https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/us-warned-caribbean-becoming-chinese-lake-2041296\">Monroe Doctrine<\/a>,&#8221; the Chinese embassy said.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"imageBox\">\n<div class=\"innerBox ar23-innerBox\"><picture class=\"mapping-embed\"><source srcset=\"https:\/\/d.newsweek.com\/en\/full\/2611839\/china-builds-megaport-peru.webp?w=790&amp;f=d6630f47f2d125bc7b74de6d1735ec50 1x\" type=\"image\/webp\" media=\"(min-width: 992px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/d.newsweek.com\/en\/full\/2611839\/china-builds-megaport-peru.jpg?w=790&amp;f=d6630f47f2d125bc7b74de6d1735ec50 1x\" type=\"image\/jpeg\" media=\"(min-width: 992px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/d.newsweek.com\/en\/full\/2611839\/china-builds-megaport-peru.webp?w=900&amp;f=132df0158038bb6fd19f375a5fbadecb 1x\" type=\"image\/webp\" media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/d.newsweek.com\/en\/full\/2611839\/china-builds-megaport-peru.jpg?w=900&amp;f=132df0158038bb6fd19f375a5fbadecb 1x\" type=\"image\/jpeg\" media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/d.newsweek.com\/en\/full\/2611839\/china-builds-megaport-peru.webp?w=790&amp;f=d6630f47f2d125bc7b74de6d1735ec50 1x\" type=\"image\/webp\" media=\"(min-width: 481px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/d.newsweek.com\/en\/full\/2611839\/china-builds-megaport-peru.jpg?w=790&amp;f=d6630f47f2d125bc7b74de6d1735ec50 1x\" type=\"image\/jpeg\" media=\"(min-width: 481px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/d.newsweek.com\/en\/full\/2611839\/china-builds-megaport-peru.webp?w=450&amp;f=c845ef102e3d489d0100f6aba80d31e9 1x\" type=\"image\/webp\" media=\"(min-width: 0px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/d.newsweek.com\/en\/full\/2611839\/china-builds-megaport-peru.jpg?w=450&amp;f=c845ef102e3d489d0100f6aba80d31e9 1x\" type=\"image\/jpeg\" media=\"(min-width: 0px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/d.newsweek.com\/en\/full\/2611839\/china-builds-megaport-peru.webp?w=1200&amp;f=a10447cab420e3f8356c3fd5b8bb144f\" type=\"image\/webp\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i2611839\" class=\"mapping-embed imgPhoto\" src=\"https:\/\/d.newsweek.com\/en\/full\/2611839\/china-builds-megaport-peru.jpg?w=1200&amp;f=a10447cab420e3f8356c3fd5b8bb144f\" alt=\"China Builds Megaport In Peru\" width=\"1200\" height=\"674\" \/><\/picture><\/div><figcaption class=\"caption ar23-caption\"><span id=\"short-cap-description\" class=\"cap\">07 November 2024, Peru, Chancay: Preparations are made for the opening of a Chinese-funded megaport in Chancay, in northern Peru, on November 7, 2024. The Chancay port is 60 percent owned by the Chinese state-owned&#8230;<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"v_article\" class=\"article-content\">\n<div class=\"article-body v_text\">\n<figure class=\"imageBox\"><figcaption class=\"caption ar23-caption\"><span class=\"credit ar23-credit\">Hidalgo Calatayud Espinoza\/dpa Picture-Alliance\/AP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>President James Monroe declared in 1823 that the Americas were within the U.S.&#8217;s <a class=\"multivariate\" href=\"https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/donald-trump-latin-america-china-russia-iran-2023448\">sphere of influence<\/a>. At the time, the target of the geopolitical statement was Europe, which had established colonies throughout the region.<\/p>\n<div>\n<section class=\"read-more-topics\" data-gtm-action=\"Read_More_Parsely\">\n<div class=\"read-more-header\"><span class=\"block-title\">Read more<\/span> <a class=\"title-topic\" href=\"https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/topic\/china\">China<\/a><\/div>\n<ul class=\"read-ul\">\n<li class=\"main-item\"><a role=\"img\" href=\"https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/florida-warned-china-influence-caribbean-latin-america-2047102\">\u00a0<\/a>President <a class=\"multivariate\" href=\"https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/topic\/donald-trump\" data-sys=\"1\">Donald Trump<\/a> has drawn attention to America&#8217;s hemispheric interests with statements that the U.S. seeks greater influence, even ownership, of Greenland, a Danish territory, and that he intends to <a class=\"multivariate\" href=\"https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/donald-trump-scores-panama-canal-win-2039502\">regain American control<\/a> of the Panama Canal, where strategic ports at either end belong to Hong Kong&#8217;s Hutchison Ports.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"dfp-ad-inarticle3-wrapper\" class=\"dfp-tag-wrapper dfp-ad-lazy dfp-ad-count\">\n<div id=\"dfp-ad-inarticle3\" class=\"dfp-tag-wrapper mpu-only unstick\"><iframe id=\"google_ads_iframe_\/22541732127\/newsweek\/inarticle3_1\" width=\"0\" height=\"0\" sandbox=\"allow-forms allow-pointer-lock allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation allow-presentation\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe>The mystery Chinese crypto boss paying Elon Musk a fortune to go to space<\/p>\n<div class=\"ar23-label\">Read more<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/elon-musk-spacex-chun-wang-china-crypto-doge-2043667\" data-gtm-category=\"Related In-Text C\" data-gtm-action=\"Click\" data-gtm-label=\"ArticleWithImg 2\"><span class=\"element-invisible\">The mystery Chinese crypto boss paying Elon Musk a fortune to go to space<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>In March, a surprise announcement that an investment group led by the American company BlackRock would buy 43 ports in 23 countries that belonged to Hutchison\u2014including two at either end of the Panama Canal\u2014<a class=\"multivariate\" href=\"https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/china-hong-kong-panama-canal-access-us-trump-deal-2046214\">infuriated the Chinese government<\/a>, which has hit back with a series of strident criticisms of the sale, of Hutchison, and of its 96-year-old founder, Hong Kong magnate Li Ka-shing. The comments, carried in Chinese state-owned media and on government websites, indicate Beijing is exerting massive pressure on Li not to sell.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Stop the transaction\u2014don&#8217;t lose something big because of something small,&#8221; read the headline of one of two articles published on Friday by <em>Ta Kung Pao<\/em>, a state-owned Chinese newspaper based in Hong Kong, in another apparent warning to Li and Hutchison.<\/p>\n<p>Asked to comment on the tussle over the Panama ports, the Chinese embassy spokesperson said: &#8220;Let me stress more broadly that China firmly opposes moves that infringe on and undermine other countries&#8217; legitimate rights and interests through economic coercion, hegemonism and bullying.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Beijing says that its <a class=\"multivariate\" href=\"https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/2022\/10\/14\/chinas-stake-world-ports-sharpens-attention-political-influence-1749215.html\">global port acquisitions<\/a> are to facilitate its <a class=\"multivariate\" href=\"https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/china-bri-investment-belt-road-xi-1835217\">Belt and Road Initiative<\/a> for global commerce and development and are not strategic in nature.<\/p>\n<div id=\"dfp-ad-inarticle4-wrapper\" class=\"dfp-tag-wrapper dfp-ad-lazy dfp-ad-count\">\n<div id=\"dfp-ad-inarticle4\" class=\"dfp-tag-wrapper mpu-only unstick\"><iframe id=\"google_ads_iframe_\/22541732127\/newsweek\/inarticle4_1\" width=\"0\" height=\"0\" sandbox=\"allow-forms allow-pointer-lock allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation allow-presentation\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"imageBox\">\n<div class=\"innerBox ar23-innerBox\"><picture class=\"mapping-embed\"><source srcset=\"https:\/\/d.newsweek.com\/en\/full\/2612056\/chinese-brazil.webp?w=790&amp;f=7e6bf852d61f71d1afa92c2b5f09114f 1x\" type=\"image\/webp\" media=\"(min-width: 992px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/d.newsweek.com\/en\/full\/2612056\/chinese-brazil.jpg?w=790&amp;f=7e6bf852d61f71d1afa92c2b5f09114f 1x\" type=\"image\/jpeg\" media=\"(min-width: 992px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/d.newsweek.com\/en\/full\/2612056\/chinese-brazil.webp?w=900&amp;f=7ceb3c9f5e30eb9c137a46126e472f65 1x\" type=\"image\/webp\" media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/d.newsweek.com\/en\/full\/2612056\/chinese-brazil.jpg?w=900&amp;f=7ceb3c9f5e30eb9c137a46126e472f65 1x\" type=\"image\/jpeg\" media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/d.newsweek.com\/en\/full\/2612056\/chinese-brazil.webp?w=790&amp;f=7e6bf852d61f71d1afa92c2b5f09114f 1x\" type=\"image\/webp\" media=\"(min-width: 481px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/d.newsweek.com\/en\/full\/2612056\/chinese-brazil.jpg?w=790&amp;f=7e6bf852d61f71d1afa92c2b5f09114f 1x\" type=\"image\/jpeg\" media=\"(min-width: 481px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/d.newsweek.com\/en\/full\/2612056\/chinese-brazil.webp?w=450&amp;f=1564cfc05cb943a1674ecd82aaf31a08 1x\" type=\"image\/webp\" media=\"(min-width: 0px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/d.newsweek.com\/en\/full\/2612056\/chinese-brazil.jpg?w=450&amp;f=1564cfc05cb943a1674ecd82aaf31a08 1x\" type=\"image\/jpeg\" media=\"(min-width: 0px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/d.newsweek.com\/en\/full\/2612056\/chinese-brazil.webp?w=1200&amp;f=40aa82300246580c13c74f2d659bf0f6\" type=\"image\/webp\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i2612056\" class=\"mapping-embed imgPhoto\" src=\"https:\/\/d.newsweek.com\/en\/full\/2612056\/chinese-brazil.jpg?w=1200&amp;f=40aa82300246580c13c74f2d659bf0f6\" alt=\"Chinese in Brazil\" width=\"1200\" height=\"831\" \/><\/picture><\/div><figcaption class=\"caption ar23-caption\"><span id=\"short-cap-description\" class=\"cap\">Chinese people wait for China&#8217;s President Xi Jinping&#8217;s motorcade to pass by at Ipanema Beach during the G20 Leaders&#8217; Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on November 19, 2024.<\/span> <span class=\"credit ar23-credit\">Photo by LUDOVIC MARIN\/AFP via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"new-content-correction\" data-gtm-action=\"Content_Correction\">\n<div id=\"artend_links\" class=\"new-content-correction-links\" data-gtm-vis-recent-on-screen11978935_233=\"975101\" data-gtm-vis-first-on-screen11978935_233=\"975101\" data-gtm-vis-total-visible-time11978935_233=\"100\" data-gtm-vis-has-fired11978935_233=\"1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>US Warns Over China&#8217;s Expansion on its Doorstep China&#8217;s growing presence in the Western Hemisphere is a threat to the United States, the U.S. State Department has told Newsweek in unusually stark comments. America&#8217;s top diplomat, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, has said that the U.S. is not ready to accept greater Chinese influence in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-505","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-china"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/505","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=505"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/505\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":506,"href":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/505\/revisions\/506"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=505"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=505"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=505"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}