BUENOS AIRES - Donald Trump was clear with Latin America during his four-year administration: don’t do business with China. The message failed to hit home.
That poses a challenge for Biden, who has pledged to restore Washington’s role as a global leader after years of Trump’s “America First” policies, and has said that slipping U.S. influence in Latin American is a threat to national security. “People ask me who I prefer, the United States or Europe? I say Brazil. What about in second place? I say China. That’s the reality of South America,” Quiroga said.Officials in the region cautioned that China, a major economic and diplomatic partner for many nations, will be difficult to unseat. Billions of Chinese dollars have given crucial lifelines for indebted emerging countries, a need that has been sharpened by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Trump administration was viewed by some countries in the region as doing little more than finger-wagging at Latin American counterparts for getting too close to China, particularly through cheap financing or technology ties as the race for 5G dominance heats up. Biden will keep pushing similar warnings against getting close to China, but may aim to win back hearts and minds with offers of more financial incentives and a return to humanitarian aid that Trump cut, experts said.
CassLGarrison
CassLGarrison Latin America preferred China’s carrots to the USA’s sticks
CassLGarrison Don’t care what Trump thinks. I’ll wait and let Joe Biden make a sound decision
CassLGarrison Why would any right minded person ever listen to realDonaldTrump ! The Worst President Ever!
CassLGarrison Yeah, don’t do business with China even though I do, my daughter does,… Very credible.
CassLGarrison Who'd have thought that trying to bully and strong-arm another country into trade policy isn't as effective as negotiating binding contractual agreements... ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
CassLGarrison
CassLGarrison I was so embarrassed when the American Embassy in Brazil was tweeting at the Brazilians to be angry at China for attempting to 'steal' vaccine information that could save the lives of people and reduce the harmful side-effects of the survivors of the corona-virus. ($$$ Life)
CassLGarrison
CassLGarrison
CassLGarrison Who is the United States of America to tell others what to do...🤔
CassLGarrison
CassLGarrison
CassLGarrison Why is this a problem?
CassLGarrison “Don’t do business with China” - hollow laughter...