A Top Trump Ally Turns to China
Washington has favored bullets over business in its dealings with slow-growing Ecuador.
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa is currently on a weeklong state visit to China, his second trip since taking office last year. Despite the Trump administration's push against Chinese economic interests in Latin America, Noboa is actively seeking to strengthen ties with Beijing. This includes advancing Ecuador's participation in the Belt and Road Initiative and seeking increased trade and investment from China.
The two countries' bilateral trade has seen significant growth, with Chinese imports to Ecuador increasing by 20 percent in the first half of this year compared to the same period last year. China's trade with the United States also grew by 13 percent, according to Chinese government statistics. While Noboa's main campaign promise was to address gang violence through a hard-line security strategy, homicides in Ecuador remain at historic highs.
His military partnership with the Trump administration has faced criticism from human rights groups over potential civilian casualties, but it has also provided opportunities for Ecuador to diversify its trade partners, particularly in the mining, renewable energy, and infrastructure sectors.
Written by urgent.news from Foreign Policy's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
