GOP, Democratic senators pressure Trump to combat China’s influence in Latin America

Republican and Democratic senators are calling on President Trump to counter China’s broad influence in Latin America ahead of a high-stakes meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing in May, according to a resolution obtained exclusively by The Hill. 

Introduced Thursday by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.), the resolution calls for the U.S. to develop a comprehensive strategy combatting China’s economic, security and diplomatic influence in Latin America.

Senate resolutions are non-binding and there’s generally bipartisan consensus over the threats to U.S. security and prosperity posed by the People’s Republic of China (PRC). But the resolution lays out in nearly two-dozen paragraphs the areas where China is outcompeting the U.S. and calls for sustained American commitments in combatting these trends. 

“This resolution underscores that we must show up as a reliable partner through sustained investment, stronger diplomatic engagement and deeper security cooperation to ensure countries in the region have real alternatives to Beijing’s coercive and often destabilizing approach,” Shaheen said in a statement.

“Our national security is increasingly under threat as the PRC rapidly works to expand its global reach and exploit countries in Latin America and the Caribbean,” Budd said in a statement. 

“The United States must be a steadfast neighbor, partner, and leader for the Western Hemisphere to effectively counter China’s malign influence, including its predatory Belt and Road Initiative. We cannot afford to cede leadership in our own hemisphere.”

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© The Hill