Xi hits out at ‘outside interference’ in Latin America in meeting with Ecuador’s president
China firmly supports Latin American nations in upholding their autonomy and pursuing international cooperation based on their own interests, Chinese President Xi Jinping told his Ecuadorian counterpart Daniel Noboa on Tuesday. “Latin American and Caribbean nations should have freedom to choose their international partners without outside interference,” Xi said, in a veiled criticism of US…
Chinese President Xi Jinping urged Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa to respect the autonomy of Latin American nations and avoid outside interference during a meeting on Tuesday. Xi emphasized that the region should be free to choose its international partners without external influence, a veiled criticism of US interventions post-2025.
Ecuador, like other Latin American nations, is navigating its relations between China and the United States amid growing assertiveness from Washington. The zone of peace, a 2014 declaration signed by 33 Latin American and Caribbean states, bans the use of force to resolve disputes and rejects foreign military intervention. Noboa expressed Ecuador's willingness to be a "good friend to China on the other side of the Pacific", and the two countries signed a free-trade agreement in 2023, with China now being Ecuador's second-largest trading partner and the country's biggest non-oil trade partner.
During his week-long trip, Noboa aims to advance priority initiatives in trade, investment, cooperation, infrastructure, energy, technology, and sustainable development. Xi encouraged the two countries to explore new areas of economic cooperation, including the digital economy, green development, new energy, and artificial intelligence, and to deepen political mutual trust and strengthen governmental, legislative, and party exchanges.
Ecuador's main agricultural export, shrimp, faces challenges in regaining access to the Chinese market due to suspension following Chinese customs inspections on food preservatives. The country also hosts several Chinese construction projects, such as a hydroelectric plant that supplies around 30% of Ecuador's electricity. However, the dam has faced technical failures, leading to an international arbitration case against the builder, PowerChina, which is expected to take over its administration for 25 years.
Ecuador's national surveillance network, ECU911, utilizes Chinese video monitoring and facial-recognition technology, leading to the loss of a US contract for the dam's network due to concerns over performance and security. Despite tensions, Noboa has maintained a pragmatic approach to Beijing, acknowledging the "era of ideology" is over and fostering close ties with US President Donald Trump.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
