China Accuses US of Using ‘China Threat’ as Excuse to Control Latin America
China on Monday slammed Washington’s warnings over its role in the Panama Canal as a “smear campaign” aimed at justifying US control over Latin America. The comments came after US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth claimed the canal faces “ongoing threats from China.”
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian rejected Hegseth’s remarks, calling them “filled with ideological bias and Cold War mentality.” He accused the US of reviving the Monroe Doctrine and interfering in Latin America under false pretenses, saying China’s cooperation with the region is based on “mutual support without geopolitical calculations.”
Lin dismissed US concerns over Chinese involvement in Panama as attempts to limit China’s influence and reassert US dominance. “This rhetoric is destined to fail,” he said, insisting that China does not seek spheres of influence and poses no threat to any third party.
