US Generals Warn of Rising Chinese Influence in Latin America

(Trends Wide) — Senior US generals have issued strong warnings to Congress about what they described as an “aggressive” expansion of Chinese influence in South America and the Caribbean, which encroaches on US interests in the region.

China “has the ability and intent to circumvent international norms, promote its authoritarianism and accumulate power and influence at the expense of these democracies,” General Laura Richardson, commander of US Southern Command, said Wednesday. “The PRC (People’s Republic of China) has expanded its ability to extract resources, establish ports, manipulate governments through predatory investment practices, and build potential dual-use space facilities, the largest number of space facilities in any combatant command region.”

General Laura Richardson speaks during a House Armed Services Committee hearing on Wednesday, March 8. (Credit: Armed Services Commission)

In fact, Richardson and General Glen VanHerck, commander of US Northern Command, testified before the House Armed Services committee that China’s expansion has included more work on the Strip Initiative and the Route, a huge international infrastructure project that aims to expand Chinese influence around the world, as well as “economic coercion” in the Bahamas and “investment” in South American projects.

“We have to pay more attention to this region,” Richardson said. “Proximity matters. They’re on the 20-yard (18-meter) line of our homeland. We’re in a neighborhood, they’re our neighbors, and we have to pay attention to them.”

US officials have raised similar concerns about China’s activities in other regions of the world, including Africa, as Beijing seeks to compete with Washington not only militarily, but also economically and in terms of soft power.

Generals highlight Chinese influence in Mexico and the Bahamas

In the Caribbean, China is “very aggressive” in the Bahamas, VanHerck said, where it has built the world’s largest embassy with an ambassador who “uses the information space to undermine us every single day.”

The general added that the US has not had a permanent ambassador to the Bahamas since 2011, and the appointment of one “would help enormously.”

VanHerck also noted that there is “significant” investment from China in Mexico, and that 80% of Mexico’s telecommunications are provided by Chinese companies.

Richardson added that while the United States also has “a lot of investments” in South America, it doesn’t advertise them enough. And while many of those countries are seeking contracts for big projects, he said, they only see “Chinese and PRC bidders,” which makes them feel like they “have no choice” but to work with China.

At the same time, however, Richardson said China’s investments do not really benefit countries in the region, saying that Beijing is “taking advantage” of South American nations by pushing them into a “multiple loan debt trap” that they grant them

“They do not invest in the country (…). They bring their own workers, Chinese workers, to the country and build these skyscrapers. So the investment is not seen in the country,” he said.

What the balloon shot down on the US coast showed.

The appearance came amid rising tensions between the United States and China following the downing of a Chinese surveillance balloon off the coast of South Carolina last month, and reports that China is considering helping Russia in its war against Ukraine.

Chinese officials have denied claims that they are considering providing lethal military aid to Russia, while US officials have maintained that China would face “real costs” if it went ahead with support.

China has also denied that the balloon shot down off the US coast in the Atlantic Ocean was a surveillance balloon. But on Wednesday, VanHerck said the incident showed “one of the ways our competitors target us every day.”

“Honestly, the internal discord from this event showed one of the ways our competitors attack us every day in the information space,” VanHerck said, “and are becoming more adept at driving wedges among the American people.”