14:23, 03-Feb-2018
Tillerson in Latin America: Tillerson warns Latin America against reliance on China
[]
Share
Copied
Just a day before his five-nation tour, Rex Tillerson addressed staff and students at the University of Texas, warning that China is assuming "alarming" roles in Latin America. He said, "Today China is getting a foothold in Latin America. It is using economic statecraft to pull the region into its orbit; the question is at what price."
As China is now the largest trading partner with Chile, Argentina, Brazil, and Peru, Tillerson said he believes that "While this trade has brought benefits, the unfair trading practices used by many Chinese have also harmed those countries’ manufacturing sectors, generating unemployment and lowering wages for workers".
He also urged regional powers to work with the United States instead. He said - "Latin America does not need new imperial powers that seek only to benefit their own people. China's state-led model of development is reminiscent of the past. It doesn't have to be the hemisphere's future".