China urges Argentina's new president to preserve relations
Following the election of right-wing populist Javier Milei as Argentina's new president, relations with China, Russia and other leading emerging countries are being put to the test. The Foreign Ministry in Beijing declared that it would be a "serious mistake" if the South American country were to break off its relations with important countries such as China or Brazil as threatened.
China is an important trading partner for Argentina, said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning. He pointed out that the previous government in Buenos Aires had attached great importance to relations with China.
The Russian news agency RIA Novosti also quoted economist Diana Mondino, who is being touted as Argentina's future foreign minister, as saying that her country would turn down the invitation to join the Brics group of leading emerging economies. In August, the Brics countries Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa invited Argentina and five other countries to join on January 1.
Milei won the presidential election on Sunday. During the election campaign, the radical-liberal right-wing politician had already distanced himself from China and left-wing Brazil and declared that he did not want to work with "communists". He also wants to scale back Argentina's previously close relations with Russia and support the government in Kiev in the Ukraine war. In return, he is seeking stronger ties with the USA.
Milei's stance is in stark contrast to the position of the center-left government of outgoing President Alberto Fernandez, who described China as Argentina's "true friend" during a visit to Beijing last month.
- Despite Javier Milei's stated intention to distance Argentina from its relationships with China and other communist-aligned nations, preserving the more important relationship with China is still considered crucial by some, as highlighted by economist Diana Mondino.
- Argentina's relationship with China, being a critical trading partner, is something that the country should not overlook, according to the Foreign Ministry in Beijing, considering the potential serious consequences of breaking off ties with such an important trading partner.
- The incoming Argentinian president, Javier Milei's more isolationist stance towards China and other nations like Brazil and Russia, could potentially disrupt the long-standing preservation of relationships between Argentina and these countries, particularly with China, as emphasized by the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson.
Source: www.ntv.de
