China mocks US ‘congratulations’ over Dominican closure of Chinese-run factory

China's embassy in Santo Domingo expressed indignation on Monday evening at the United States' "congratulations" on the Dominican Republic's closure of a Chinese-run factory. A spokesperson for the embassy accused Washington of harboring "sinister intentions" and mocked the US for publicly praising the Dominican authorities for dismantling what it called an "illicit" operation.

The rebuke came hours after Juan Pablo Segura, who heads the US State Department's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, praised Dominican officials on social media for "taking decisive action" to shut down the factory. Operating without permits, running an illegal fuel depot and employing foreign labor without authorization, the factory was seen by Segura as a threat to Dominican law and order.

In response, the Chinese embassy insisted that the Dominican Republic is a sovereign nation that does not require outside validation or criticism of its legal processes. It advised US officials to focus on practical development initiatives in the region rather than engaging in "verbal political manipulation". The Chinese embassy framed the closure as a one-off enforcement action, to be used by Washington to cast Chinese companies in a negative light and stir up discord.

Beijing urged its citizens and businesses to respect local laws while defending their legitimate rights. The Dominican Ministry of Industry and Commerce had announced the shutdown of Cartesa, a company that produced cardboard at an industrial complex in San Antonio de Guerra, the capital's outskirts. The company had no valid land-use permits or commercial licenses and employed foreign workers without proper documentation.

Inspectors also dismantled an unauthorized fuel storage facility, seizing a 5,000-liter tank and around 3,800 liters of diesel valued at approximately $37,000. Authorities halted construction at the site for violating building codes and conducted identity checks on foreign workers. The Chinese embassy has consistently criticized US officials for their comments on Chinese activities in the country since the Dominican Republic switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 2018.

Subsequently, Washington recalled its ambassador for consultations. Since then, China has become the Dominican Republic's second-largest trading partner, supplying 18.4% of its imports between January and September, compared to 42.1% from the United States, according to the National Statistics Office. The Dominican Republic's crackdown on Chinese businesses intensified over the past year, partly driven by local concerns over unfair trade practices such as tax evasion and labor violations.

Housing ministry inspectors began closing Chinese-run shops and commercial centers due to structural safety issues following the collapse of a nightclub roof that killed more than 230 people in April. Over 40 audits were initiated by the tax authority at the behest of a powerful traders' federation threatening a 48-hour business strike.

Labour inspectors inspected 101 Chinese-owned shops within a week, ordering 24 to cease operations due to safety hazards. Consumer protection officials closed eight more Chinese-owned establishments for selling unregistered products and placing dangerous items within children's reach. In his early days as US Ambassador to the Dominican Republic in August, Segura had warned Latin American and Caribbean governments about the potential dangers of importing Chinese-made goods.

The White House had also singled out the Dominican Republic, along with nine other Latin American economies, for allegedly facilitating Chinese exporters in evading US tariffs.