Chinese foreign ministry says economic partnership in the region based on common interests<\/b>
\nChina accused the United States of disrespecting Latin America after US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned countries in the region against excessive reliance on economic ties with China.
In a speech ahead of a visit to Mexico, Argentina, Peru, Colombia and Jamaica, Tillerson said China was getting a foothold in Latin America, using economic statecraft to pull the region into its orbit.
In a statement released late on Friday responding to Tillerson, China\u2019s foreign ministry said cooperation between China and Latin America was based on common interests and mutual needs.
\u201cWhat the United States said is entirely against the truth and displayed disrespect to the vast number of Latin American countries,\u201d the ministry said.
Cooperation between China and Latin American countries is based on equality, reciprocity, openness and inclusiveness, it added.
Latin America offers rewards but risks await
\u201cChina is a major international buyer of Latin American bulk commodities, and imports more and more agricultural and high-value-added products from the region,\u201d the ministry said.
China\u2019s investment in and financial cooperation with Latin American countries were in full accordance with commercial rules and local laws and regulations, it added.
\u201cThe development of China-Latin America ties does not target or reject any third party, nor does it affect the interests of third parties in Latin America,\u201d the ministry said.
\u201cWe hope that relevant countries abandon outdated concepts of zero-sum games and look at the development of China-Latin America relations in an open and inclusive manner.\u201d
China maps new road to Latin America to rival and check US influence
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Chile last month for a summit with Latin American and Caribbean countries, where he invited them to join China\u2019s massive \u201cbelt and road\u201d infrastructure programme.
Separately, the US Treasury\u2019s top economic diplomat, David Malpass, on Friday accused China of enabling poor governance in Venezuela by propping up the socialist government of President Nicolas Maduro through murky oil-for-loan investments.<\/p>\n