- Argentina’s right-wing liberal Javier Milei spoke sharply against China during the election campaign and promised to freeze relations with one of Argentina’s most important trading partners.
- The president-elect said Argentina would no longer cooperate with “communist” regimes.
- “It would be a big foreign policy mistake for Argentina to break off relations with major countries such as China or Brazil,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said on Tuesday.
Argentine presidential candidate of the La Libertad Avanza alliance Javier Milei speaks to his supporters at his party headquarters in Buenos Aires on November 19, 2023, after winning the presidential election runoff.
Luis Robayo | Afp | Getty Images
China warned Argentina on Tuesday that it would be a “big foreign policy mistake” if Buenos Aires cut ties, shortly after right-wing libertarian Javier Milei secured victory in the South American country’s presidential runoff.
Milei, who easily defeated Peronist Economy Minister Sergio Massa on Sunday, had sharply criticized China during the election campaign and promised to freeze relations with one of Argentina’s most important trading partners.
The president-elect said Argentina would no longer cooperate with “communist” regimes, reportedly compared the Beijing government to an “assassin” and said the Chinese people are “not free.” Milei’s four-year term begins Dec. 10.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said on Tuesday that bilateral relations had shown “solid momentum,” adding that Beijing was “ready to work with Argentina to keep our relations on a stable course.”
“No country could withdraw from diplomatic relations and still be able to engage in economic trade and cooperation,” Mao said.
“It would be a big foreign policy mistake for Argentina to break off relations with big countries like China or Brazil. China is Argentina’s important trading partner. The newly elected Argentine government values its relations with China, especially the business ties between the two countries.”
According to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti, Diana Mondino, an economist expected to become foreign minister in Milei’s government, was quoted on Monday as saying that Argentina would stop cooperating with the governments of Brazil and China.
Mondino was asked whether Argentina would continue to promote imports and exports with its main trading partners.
Asked about Mondino’s comments, China’s Mao said: “The economic complementarity between our two countries means that there is great potential for cooperation.”
The new Argentine government’s views on China appear to reflect a significant shift from the outgoing Alberto Fernandez government, with Fernandez calling China a “true friend” during a visit to Beijing last month.
Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Argentine President Alberto Fernandez at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, on October 18, 2023. Fernandez is in Beijing for the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.
Xinhua News Agency | Xinhua News Agency | Getty Images
Fernandez also promised to strengthen cooperation within the framework of the G20 and BRICS cooperation mechanism.
The BRICS coalition currently consists of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
Argentina was recently among six countries invited to join the alliance, along with Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.