By HALEY BRITZSKY
(CNN), March 8, 2023 — Senior US generals issued stark warnings to lawmakers about what they described as an “aggressive” expansion of Chinese influence in South America and the Caribbean encroaching on American interests in the region.
“The [People’s Republic of China] has the capability and intent to eschew international norms, advance its brand of authoritarianism, and amass power and influence at the expense of these democracies,” Gen. Laura Richardson, commander of US Southern Command, said on Wednesday. “The PRC has expanded its ability to extract resources, establish port, manipulate governments through predatory investment practices, and build potential dual-use space facilities — the most space facilities in any combatant command region.”
Indeed, Richardson and Gen. Glen VanHerck, commander of US Northern Command, told the House Armed Services Committee that China’s expansion has included increased work on the Belt and Road Initiative, a massive international infrastructure project that seeks to expand Chinese influence around the world, as well as “economic coercion” in the Bahamas and “investment” on South American projects.
“We’ve got to pay more attention to this region,” Richardson said. “The proximity matters. They are on the 20-yard line of our homeland. We are in a neighborhood, these are our neighbors, and we have got to pay attention to them.”
American officials have voiced similar concerns about Chinese activities in other regions of the world including Africa as Beijing looks to compete with Washington not just militarily but also economically and in terms of soft power. See complete CNN article at https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/08/politics/china-south-america-caribbean-us-military/index.html
