China seeks a united front with Latin America in countering Trump's
trade war
[May 13, 2025] By
SIMINA MISTREANU
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China is moving to strengthen its alliances with
other countries as a counterweight to President Donald Trump’s trade
war, presenting a united front with Latin American leaders a day after
China and the U.S. agreed to a 90-day truce in their tariffs stalemate.
China's leaders have positioned the world's second-largest economy as a
reliable trade and development partner, in contrast to the uncertainty
and instability from Trump’s tariff hikes and other policies.
On Monday, Beijing and Washington announced their breakthrough on
tariffs after weekend talks in Geneva, Switzerland, where they agreed to
cut sky-high import duties on both sides for 90 days to allow for
negotiations.
Still, Beijing’s ire over the trade war remains apparent. Speaking to
officials from China and Latin America on Tuesday, Chinese leader Xi
Jinping reiterated Beijing’s stance that nobody wins a trade war and
that “bullying or hegemonism only leads to self-isolation.”
Having moved to defuse antagonisms with the U.S., Xi said China stands
ready to “join hands” with Latin countries “in the face of seething
undercurrents of pure political and bloc confrontation and the surging
tide of unilateralism and protectionism.”
“There are no winners in tariff wars or trade wars,” Xi said,
reiterating a phrase China has used repeatedly when referring to Trump's
policies.
When Trump began raising tariffs on Chinese products during his first
term in office, China retaliated by diversifying its purchases of key
farm products, such as soybeans and beef, away from U.S. suppliers.
Brazil and other Latin American countries have benefited from that
strategy.
Also Tuesday, the head of the World Trade Organization appealed to Japan
to fight disruptions to world commerce from Trump's fast-changing
tariffs and other policies.
“Trade is facing very challenging times right now and it is quite
difficult,” Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, director-general of the Geneva-based
WTO, told Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba while on a visit to
Tokyo.
Japan, as “a champion of the multilateral trading system” must help
maintain, strengthen and reform the WTO, the Japanese Foreign Ministry
cited her as saying.
Japan is among many countries yet to reach a deal with the Trump
administration on hikes to U.S. tariffs, including those on autos, steel
and aluminum.
The WTO played a pivotal role in past decades as the U.S. and other
major economies crusaded for the more open markets that facilitated the
growth of global supply chains, many of which are anchored in China.
[to top of second column] |
Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, shakes hands with Colombia's
President Gustavo Petro after delivering his opening speech for the
opening ceremony of the Fourth Ministerial Meeting of the Forum of
China and Community of Latin American and Caribbean States at China
National Convention Center in Beijing, Tuesday, May 13, 2025. (AP
Photo/Andy Wong)
By dismantling many protectionist barriers to trade, it has aided the
ascent of Japan and China, and many other countries, as export
manufacturing hubs.
Since taking office for a second time, Trump has prioritized higher
tariffs to try to reduce U.S. imports and compel companies to locate
factories in the United States, doubling down on a trade war that he
launched during his first term.
The realities of Trump’s global trade offensive overshadowed an initial
burst of optimism over the China-U.S. deal among investors, as rallies
in stocks and oil prices faded on Tuesday.
Speaking to the China-CELAC, or Community of Latin American and
Caribbean States, Forum, Xi, the Chinese leader, announced plans to
build closer ties with Latin America through political, economic,
academic and security exchanges.
He promised to boost imports from the region, to encourage Chinese
companies to increase their investments, and said Beijing plans to
expand cooperation in clean energy, 5G telecommunications and artificial
intelligence. He also announced a new 66 billion yuan ($9.2 billion)
credit line to support Latin American and Caribbean financing.
China’s trade with the region has been growing rapidly, exceeding $500
billion for the first time last year, as it imported more farm products
such as soybeans and beef, energy resources such as crude oil, iron ore,
and critical minerals.
Beijing’s investments in the region through Xi's Belt and Road
Initiative, or BRI, have included installing 5G networks and building
ports and hydropower plants.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced Monday that his country
would formally join the BRI – in a vote of confidence after several
Chinese projects in Latin America hit snags in recent months.
In other pledges, Beijing plans to invite 300 members from Latin
American political parties to China annually for the next three years
and facilitate 3,500 government scholarships and various other types of
exchanges.
Five Latin American countries will receive visa exemptions for travel to
China, with more to follow, Xi said. It was not immediately clear which
countries would become visa exempt.
___
Associated Press writer Mari Yamaguchi contributed from Tokyo.
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