During the Aug. 25 daily press briefing, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun responded to a question about the outrageous China-bashing statements made by Southern Command chief Adm. Alvin Holsey at the Aug. 20-22 South American Defense Conference (see separate report). Guo noted this is the “same old narrative inconsistent with facts,” revealing “the same Cold War and confrontational mindset of some in the U.S.”
He pointed to China’s practical policy in Latin America and the Caribbean over years, which is non-confrontational, mutually respectful, and favors cooperation and development. Face it, he added, the Latin America-Caribbean (LAC) region “is no one’s backyard.” LAC cooperation shouldn’t be interrupted by a third party, as every country has the right to choose its development path and cooperative partners. The U.S. “should stop sowing discord and making trouble.” Rather, he recommended, “it should do something tangible for the development of the LAC countries.”
