Beijing did not lose its chance when President Trump threatened Colombia on his first day of office. As the crisis develops between countries, the Chinese ambassador to Colombia posted a sharp message on X: “We are in the relationship between China and Colombia, which has been 45 years.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio attempted to spin Mr. Trump’s emerging approach to the Western Hemisphere to “America’s No. 1” foreign policy this month. But Mr. Trump’s long and growing list of short-sighted actions has undermined early diplomatic propaganda and created a vacancy in the region for American opponents, most notably China.
These actions include tariffs on aluminum and steel, tariff threats on North American neighbors, freezes of foreign aid, a deportation-centric foreign policy agenda and ridiculous territorial demands. Beijing is ready to enter the blank space as Mr. Trump completely alienates our neighbors through threats and final communications.
Over the past 25 years, China’s economic ties with Latin America have developed significantly. In 2000, China was just the seventh largest export market in the region. Today, China has become South America’s leading trading partner and the second largest trading partner in the entire Latin America, only lagging behind the United States. Latin America and the Caribbean export to China In 2023, US$122 billion in 2013 will be approximately US$208 billion in 2023.
Meanwhile, financing infrastructure and politically useful architectural gadget financing methods in Latin America have proven to be very attractive: China has built state-of-the-art, $54 million library throughout El Salvador and Cricket and Soccer Stadiums in the Caribbean and Central America, as well as many other projects. Unfortunately, it reflects China’s participation in Africa, and its construction projects in Latin America also often ignore local labor rights and environmental standards.
In just one month, Mr. Trump not only managed to cheer up some of our closest historical allies, but also opened the door for Beijing. His proposal of 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada (now delayed) would not only harm North American consumers, but also provide China with an opportunity to use itself as a more reliable economic partner in the region. The violent explosion of government methods of foreign aid (in 2023, the U.S. International Development Agency and the State Department in Latin America and the Caribbean alone will not only signal our neighbors to be untrustworthy; it will also make our National security is at risk. In Central America, U.S. aid funds have been helping curb irregular migration from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, as well as combat transnational gangs like MS-13, which have been in the United States and Latin America. Criminal activity.
A single focus on deportation is at the heart of the Trump administration’s “America No. 1” approach. The return of immigrants to Latin American countries so far has masked all other issues on the region’s U.S. agenda as Mr. Trump made it clear to Colombia’s threat of tariffs and visa bans. These threats have produced some perceptions of public relations victory, such as using U.S. military aircraft to send immigrants back to their homeland. The images may lead to compelling social media posts, but President Joe Biden’s deportation flights used U.S. immigration and customs enforcement aircraft designed for missions produced the same results.
In the near term, the Trump administration will claim some victory as many governments in the region may seek to adapt to Mr. Trump’s constant installation of immigration requirements to avoid retribution. But in the long run, government bullying will almost certainly backfire, which makes long-term allies want to build relationships with other governments.
Even in the case of mobility, foreign aid from the United States is always far less than what is needed for quantity and speed. The Latin American cumulative financing of IDB was established by Congress during Mr. Trump’s first term and invested in private sector projects in developing countries, lagging behind the provisions provided by China Development Bank and Chinese companies. While reports of increasing funds from the Trump administration to development finance companies may be positive, such funds must not come at the expense of the key USAID dollar that promotes America’s interests. Instead of freezing aid and imposing more tariffs, the Trump administration and Congress should not expand U.S. investment and aid in the region. Both will ultimately strengthen our national security.
Mr. Trump’s request for the return of the Panama Canal to us control, in his inauguration speech and subsequent statements, evoking the ideal of expansionism, reminiscent of Monroe’s doctrine, James Monroe in 1823 in 1823 This ideal was introduced to prevent diplomatic powers from affecting Latin America. Instead, Mr. Trump’s huge strategy will alienate our neighbors and be completely opposite to Monroe’s vision. The Trump administration needs to quickly reverse the route or the United States in Latin America is likely to decline permanently as Beijing takes one step to fill the vacuum.
