China’s Latin Influence Is Growing, General Says

Recent US sanctions against several Latin American and Caribbean countries may come back to haunt it. US Army General Bantz Craddock testified before a Congressional panel that cuts in military aid may have alienated several countries – and that China has stepped in to fill the void. The Asian giant aggressively pursued economic ties with several Latin American countries, in order to support its massive food and energy needs. But according to The Miami Herald, the scope of influence has expanded to military realms: "Chinese defense officials made 20 visits to Latin American and Caribbean nations last year, while nine high-level delegations from Latin America visited China." With several countries feeling slighted by the United States, increased Chinese military presence could certainly shift hemispheric power dynamics. – YaleGlobal

China's Latin Influence Is Growing, General Says

China is taking advantage of a US influence vacuum in Latin America because of aid cuts, the commander of the Southern Command says
Pablo Bachelet
Thursday, March 10, 2005

WASHINGTON - The head of the Miami-based U.S. Southern Command Wednesday warned that China was increasing its influence among Latin American militaries, and partly blamed a policy that cuts military aid to countries that refuse to exempt U.S. citizens from International Criminal Court jurisdiction.

In his first testimony before a House panel, Army Gen. Bantz Craddock, who heads the United States Southern Command, offered an unusually sober assessment of the impact of the U.S. policy to exempt U.S. citizens from ICC, something many nations resent as a heavy-handed U.S. imposition.

AID CUTS

He said 22 countries had their military aid cut, of which 11 were from Latin America and the Caribbean. The cuts meant that officers from those countries would not be trained in U.S. facilities

''The concern is that there will be unintended consequences, that we loose contact, engagement, the opportunity to learn from them and teach them about the values and ideals and beliefs in democratic institutions,'' Craddock told the House Armed Service Committee, adding that "others will fill that gap.''

The Chinese military was reaching out to their Latin American counterparts, Craddock said, especially in the Pacific rim and Andean regions. Chinese defense officials made 20 visits to Latin American and Caribbean nations last year, while nine high-level delegations from Latin America visited China.

The nations affected by the sanctions are Barbados, Bolivia, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, St. Vincent, Uruguay, Costa Rica, Brazil, Trinidad and Paraguay.

The Bush administration argues countries could use the International Criminal Court, based in The Hague, Netherlands, to prosecute U.S. citizens for political reasons. By signing the exemption -- known as Article 98 -- nations agree not to transfer U.S. citizens to the ICC without U.S. consent.

In his written statement, Craddock called China's increasing influence in the region ''an emerging dynamic that could not be ignored.''

STRATEGY CHANGE

He said that China needed to protect its access to food, energy, raw materials and export markets and this had forced a change in that country's military strategy, to promote "a power-projection military, capable of securing strategic shipping lanes and protecting its growing economic interests abroad.''

In separate hearings, two top State Department officials reiterated their concerns over Venezuela, whose president, Hugo Chávez, is a fierce critic of President Bush. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told a panel of the House Appropriations Committee that she wanted assurances that President Hugo Chávez is committed to democracy.

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© 2005 The Miami Herald