Adm. Kurt Tidd, a senior US military official for Central and South America, warned about growing “economic competition” from China in the Western Hemisphere at a Monday press briefing in Washington.
Tidd noted how Chinese businesses are mulling land development deals near the Panama Canal and offering to improve local information technology infrastructure. He called such non-military moves by China a demonstration of how other nations, including Russia and Iran, are searching for openings and influence in countries historically and physically close to the United States.
Their goal, “is to undermine our partnerships,” Tidd said at a Pentagon press briefing.
Tidd asserted that an example of Beijing’s influence occurred last summer when Panama broke off diplomatic relations with Taiwan under alleged pressure from China and formally established ties with Beijing. Since then, the admiral noted that Chinese interests have teamed up with a Belgian firm to build a port and terminal for cruise ships near the entrance to the Panama Canal.
“The transparency of financial dealings [with the Chinese] are not always evident,” and this might prod some nations to avoid complex transactions with Beijing, Tidd said.
USNI News said Tidd was asked at the briefing whether he thought Beijing might consider building a military base somewhere in the Western Hemisphere as it’s already done in the Horn of Africa.
“It’s something always worth paying attention to,” Tidd said. “We can’t take [countries in Southern Command area of responsibility] for granted,” he was quoted as saying.
Tidd, at the same time, noted the strong military-to-military relationships the US enjoys with Colombia, Brazil, Chile and Argentina.
Every nation has a right to development, and free to choose with whom they partner with. They choose one with the money, market access and tech transfer with no string attached. US just did not bother to compete. You can’t blame China for providing developmental aids. US can do the same.
Just make sure that, among the SK entourage, there are no US or pro-US assassins to take out KJU, whether dramatically or stealthily. Remember Arafat? He was assassinated by poison, which took some time to take effect!
The article is one-sided enough. The headline is worse. We will know this site is fair when it runs a story headlined: "Chinese official raises red flag over US moves in SE Asia." But of course, we readers are presumed to think any impairment of US control is a bad thing. I do not want to have to lament the loss of AT as an independent voice on Asia. But your wish to "balance" the conversation is reaching the tipping point in the other direction.
By the same reasoning, Russia raises a red flag over NATO’s, led by the US, military postures in the Baltic and the Vatican-sized Camp Bonsteel in Kosovo. China raises a red flag over the US deployment in South Korea. Iraq, Japan, Syria, Uzbekistan lost their red flags. The US is already there!
WHY IS IT THAT USA THE MOST POWERFUL COUNTRY IN THE WORLD, IS SO INSECURE OF SEEING CHINA, RUSSIA, AND IRAN HAVING FOOTHOLD IN IT’S NEIGHBORING LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES! IS IT BECAUSE OF ENVY OR A HIDDEN GEO-POLITICAL AGENDA?
The bio-sphere, the place we live
It seems like we don’t give a damn
Other species flushed down the tubes
We need another race to rape
The way we live we will destroy
Every other living thing
‘Til none are left except our race
And then we will destroy ourselves
Look who’s using the term UNDERMINING!???? This is the most powerful country that is the number one underminer and destabilizer, under the guise of protecting freedom and democracy, of foreign sovereign governments. It is blatantly evil and so hypocritical conveniently ignoring and concealinh the fact that it has ruined the lives of its own American citizens as a result of its malevolent policies of so-called regional trade agreements (a divide and conquer geopolitical strategy) trade union busting and massive loss of jobs through globalization, liberalization that disempowered the traditional regulatory institutions, manioulated the dollar through the so-called Federal Reserve (a private corporatiob not accountable to the US Government), policies of privatization that enabled oligarchs to control vital industries and infrastructures, created an industrialized military funded by the top one percent richest families, destroyed the civilization and cultures of nations in the Middle East resultibg in population displacements and spread of worlwide terrorism around the globe, etc., etc, etc.
Filipinos are witnesses to how the once vibrant industrializing economy of the Philippines came to a grinding halt when the US executed its CHANGE-REGIME strategy that overthrew the government of President Ferdinand Marcos, and installed its puppet, resulting in the Filipinos’ thirty years of misery in the spread of criminality, drug menace, poverty, corruption, plunging this country down to the secobd worst performing economy in Asia.
And the US has the gall to lecture on the subject of UNDERMINING?????????????????????
Chinese business invasion is the trend nowadays especially we are at the 21st century. China dominates the business sector of the world. The classic world dominance by controlled decadence by US is no longer effective.Mist nations preferred business partnership with China from business to infrastructures. US dictations to a nation is no longer effective too.
WRONG BRO, NOT A US MILITARY MAN. HE IS A STRONG BUSINESS MAN, POLITICIAN, A RELIGIOUS MAN, ETC. THERE ARE WELL GROOMED FOR LIFE AFTER MILITARY AND ALWAYS DOES WELL AS CIVILIANS.
Meshach Osaretin get out
Need to watch the grouping’s of people in a particular countries. Promoting supremacy to other citizens. Violating one’s Rights.
US asa SP Sorry
Root Cause is Lack of Leadership
Ohh USA did influence as A World leader Economically
I said No What They did Just to Bomb Everyone
Like Fire in The whole .
The U S sees how China is claiming islands deemed by U N arbitration belonging to the philippines and other neighboring countries and even constructing artificial islands and claiming them as theirs, even tho in disputed waters and threatening all those who pass…xi jinping. He’s announced his presidency for life and will push to claim Tiawan in two years…he has become a land grabbing monster…the U S is merely trying yo prevent a communist regime from globalizing its
Doctrine…Americans will fight for democracy to the dying breath…every man, woman and child…Americans believe in freedom. .something not possible under China’s suppressive government…so shameful…Chinese people are so kind ,ambitious and warm. ..just surpressed
The Chinese making friends thru helping other nation economically unlike US which helps other nation militarilly, if you will choose which sides you want to be?
Too bad all the products mfgd in China are inferior.. food, plastics, steel…everything imaginable . Duplicating name brand clothing that is terrible in quality…this is what Americans are facing when we shop..I perdonally think its criminal and for those who import this trash should be held accountable…I, for one, will buy anything from anywhere else first.. ask any Filipino which mfg. They prefer..it won’t be Chinese…this is what the world faces with Chinese globalization..total disreguard for patents and quality
Have we all saidAMEN ????*
Chinese govt is very clever…they smile while sliding the knife deep in your guts…why do you think Tiawan and Hong Kong are desperately tryingbto hold their sovernty ???….answer….because.communism strips your rights to free enterprise and controls with fear and total censorship of all media….I know many Chinese nationals…all supressed…friendly ???*….BEWARE THE WOLF IN SHEEPS CLOTHING
Why not bomb China earlier than later?