Argentinian President Alberto Fernandez has concluded his visit to Russia and China. United World International expert Yunus Soner spoke on the visit and its repercussions in Latin America and the reactions from Washington to China Radio International Turkey. Soner said that Fernandez’ visit caused “a series of small political earthquakes”.
Below we present the interview as published by CRI Türk.
United World International author and political scientist Yunus Soner, who spent a long time in Latin America, was guest to our program Headlines. We spoke with him about Argentine President Alberto Fernandez’ visit to Russia and China and the reaction of the United States.
Soner emphasized that US efforts to stop Fernandez from visiting Beijing did not bear fruit, saying: “One of the leading Brazilian newspapers, O Globo has reported that US State Department officials had interfered, trying to impede Fernandez’ visit. But the Argentine President did not only not cancel his visit to China, he also added Russia in the last minute to his trip. Here, President Fernandez has stated ‘I am strongly and for a long time defending the position that Argentina has to get rid of its dependency on the IMF and the US, instead seeking new opportunities with others.”
Reminding that Fernandez’ visit to Russia was added in the very last minute to the trip, Soner said “This was actually a harsh message sent to the US, and the first in a series of political earthquakes that Argentina has caused.”
The second earthquake came with Argentina’s membership in the Belt and Road initiative. Soner highlighted that Argentina is currently the biggest Latin American economy in terms of GDP to take part in the initiative. The other economic heavyweights of the continent, Brazil and Mexico, do have good relations with China, but have not yet joined the Belt and Road.
Argentina signed bilateral agreements with the People’s Republic of China on a broad range of issues, from 5G technologies to defense industry, from biotechnology to lithium mining, from SWAP agreements to nuclear plant construction, said Soner. The distinguishing element according to Soner: “Argentinian experts state, for instance concerning the nuclear plant construction, that China offers better conditions than other countries both in regard to financing and technology sharing.”
Chinese-Argentine cooperation in defense industry
The developing bilateral relations are not limited to investment and trade. Argentina and China have started the cooperation on several projects of the defense industry too. In the coming month, a military delegation from Argentina will visit China to discuss further defense and military cooperation.
“Some agreements were signed on the field of defense industry. China and Argentina will found a factory for armed military vehicles in Argentina. Besides, official talks have started concerning Argentina’s purchase of Chinese JF-17 military planes, a plane that China has developed together with Pakistan”, said Soner.
Changing balances in the IMF
“From Argentina’s perspective, the Belt and Road calls attention as an alternative model to that of the IMF concerning production and financing”, said Soner, indicating a new situation in Argentina’s relations with the IMF.
Stating that the country’s recent agreement with the IMF was less severe than before, Soner said “this is not a classical structural adjustment agreement that suffocates the economy”. According to Soner, what distinguished the IMF agreement despite some impositions was the following:
“Argentina has received the greatest support during negotiations with the IMF from countries such as Russia, China and Latin American countries. Its deepening relations with China during the preparations to access the Belt and Road have served Argentina well in its negotiations with the IMF. This is expressed by both, the Argentine Ambassador to China and the country’s press.”
“Thus”, adds Soner, “are the Belt and Road and the emergence of a multipolar world changing to a certain degree also the balances within the IMF.”
US’ reaction to Argentina joining the Belt and Road
Soner also spoke on Washington’s reaction to Argentine decision to join the Belt and Road, stating the following:
“A US State Department official spoke anonymously to the Argentinian newspaper La Nacion, leading organ of the country’s pro-globalization right wing circles. The official said ‘the work of the friends of Argentina within the US government has become more difficult’.”
Soner added that the official criticized in the interview Fernandez’ visit to Russia and condemned the country’s decision to build a nuclear plant together with China.
The United States prepares for Cold War in Latin America
The US’ discomfort has caused reactions on the level of the Senate. Bob Menendez, Chairman of the Senate Committee for Foreign Relations and well known in Turkey for supporting the terror organization YPG in Syria, and Senator Marco Rubio, leading member of the Republican Party’s right wing have prepared a law proposal. Concerning the proposal that targets countries in Latin America, which establish and deepen relations with Russia and China, Soner stated the following: “The Senators Menendez and Rubio have introduced a law proposal to the Senate. Its title is ‘The Western Hemisphere Security Strategy Act 2022’. Its Section 2 determines the target: to develop a strategy against ‘the harmful and malign influence in Latin America and the Caribbean of the Government of the People’s Republic of China and the Government of the Russian Federation’. The bill demands that the State Department develops within 180 days a strategy paper to fight against Chinese and Russian influence in Latin America. Thus, these two US senators announce on legislative level that to coming times well be a period of fight against Russian and Chinese influence in Latin America.”