Washington, May 15 (EFE) – The United States announced Thursday that it “strongly opposes” funding by international financial institutions for Chinese-controlled companies operating in Colombia and other Belt and Road Initiative countries in the region.
“The US will strongly oppose recent projects and disbursements by the IDB and other IFIs for Chinese state-owned and controlled companies in Colombia (and other BRI countries in the region),” the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs said on X.
“These projects endanger the region’s safety and security. American tax dollars SHOULD NOT be used in any way by international organizations to subsidize Chinese companies in our hemisphere,” it added.
The Bureau’s post comes after the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) China meeting in Beijing earlier this week, attended by Colombian President Gustavo Petro and his Brazilian and Chilean counterparts, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Gabriel Boric.
Chinese President Xi Jinping used the China-CELAC Forum on Tuesday to boost China’s multilateral initiatives.
In comments that pointed to Washington, Xi told the forum that “bullying and hegemony will only lead to self-isolation.”
During the forum, Colombia ed the Belt and Road Initiative, which many Latin American countries have already signed.
The BRI aims to give Beijing global political and economic influence in exchange for Chinese investment in infrastructure and other large-scale projects.
A t venture of two Chinese companies, Xi’An Metro Company Limited and China Harbour Engineering Company Limited, is currently building the first line of Bogota’s metro project.
Financing is being provided by the IDB, the World Bank’s International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the European Investment Bank.
The contract to build the second line has yet to be awarded, but Latin America’s development bank, CAF, committed some financing. EFE
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