Argentine Ambassador to China Marcelo Suarez Salvia claimed to China’s state-run newspaper Global Times on Thursday that the government of President Javier Milei is “willing” to continue engaging with China despite Milei’s staunch opposition to communism.
“The idea that the Argentine government is trying to decouple from China is not correct; on the contrary … the relationship between Argentina and China has resulted in broad benefits for both parties,” Salvia said to the Chinese state newspaper.
Some of the alleged cooperation with the Chinese communist regime, the diplomat asserted, would be under the framework of China’s predatory Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) debt trap program and welcoming Chinese enterprises to invest in Argentina.
The Argentine diplomat’s statements mark a stark contrast to previous public statements by Milei, a libertarian economist who throughout his career as a cable TV fixture and presidential candidate maintained a fierce opposition to communism.
During his presidential campaign, Milei fiercely asserted that, if elected, he would “not do business with communists” — with special emphasis on China, one of Argentina’s largest trading partners, second only to neighboring Brazil.
Milei has also repeatedly vowed to “realign” Argentina’s foreign policy, embracing the United States and Israel as its main allies while undoing nearly two decades of socialist foreign policies that pushed Argentina towards China, Russia, Iran, and other rogue regimes.
The Argentine president reaffirmed that foreign policy on Wednesday, firing former Foreign Minister Diana Mondino hours after Argentina voted in favor of a non-binding United Nations resolution calling for the United States to lift its “embargo” on Cuba’s communist Castro family regime. The U.S. and Israel were the only two nations that voted against the resolution.
Reports from Argentine outlets indicate that Milei seeks to overhaul Argentina’s diplomatic personnel, whose positions should, according to internal government documentation obtained by local media, be occupied by officials who “accompany the ideas of freedom.”
Global Times referred to remarks Milei made in an interview in September where he sported a less antagonistic stance towards China, describing it as a “very interesting business partner.” He said at the time he hoped to travel to China in January 2025 to participate in a joint summit between China and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), a regional bloc.
“China is a very interesting trading partner because they don’t demand anything, they just ask not to be disturbed,” Milei said at the time.
Suarez Salvia told the Chinese state newspaper that details of the upcoming visit are yet to be confirmed but asserted that, as it would be the first official high-level meeting between Milei and the Chinese regime, the Argentine president will allegedly seek to engage in “direct and frank conversations to learn firsthand about the measures and reforms that have led China down a path of undeniable economic development, with a significant poverty reduction impact and eradication of extreme poverty in China.”
Milei’s plans to visit China, the ambassador said, underscore that Argentina “has no intention” of decoupling itself from China. The Argentine diplomat further refuted claims that “China-Argentina relations are regressing.”
Under the auspices of Milei’s predecessor, socialist and pro-China former President Alberto Fernández, China gained significant influence over the South American nation. Fernández had Argentina join the predatory BRI program in February 2022 and, as of 2021, it received at least $111.9 billion in Chinese “rescue” funds according to reports published in 2023.
Fernández’s disastrous handling of the Argentine economy, which left the nation severely cash-starved of foreign currency and on the verge of a hyperinflation spiral, led to his administration desperately reaching out to communist dictator Xi Jinping for a $5 billion currency swap deal in November 2022. The deal was extended to $6.5 billion in mid-October, days before Milei was elected president.
China reportedly froze the $6.5 swap deal in December 2023, days after Milei took office — but resumed it in June after Milei met with Chinese Ambassador to Argentina Wang Wei.
According to the Global Times, Argentina “recognizes the relevance” of China’s BRI debt trap program, “especially in its role in addressing infrastructure gaps in emerging and developing economies.” Suarez Salvia claimed that during now-former Foreign Minister Mondino’s past encounters with Chinese officials, Argentina reaffirmed its commitment to continue advancing cooperation with China on “strategic projects beneficial to both countries.”
“Argentina also is well-positioned in the near term as a key energy exporter, and we are confident in our ability to expand partnerships with Chinese energy companies to maximize cooperation,” the diplomat said.
The Argentine ambassador stated that Chinese investments are “welcomed” in Argentina in fields such as mining, energy, forestry, infrastructure, tourism. Those investments are also possible in areas covered by the Incentive Regime for Large Investments (RIGI), a program launched by the Argentine government this year to entice companies to invest in Argentina by offering tax, customs, currency exchange, tariffs, and other related incentives.
A report published by the Argentine outlet Infobae in March 2023 stated that China sought to leverage its pressure and influence on Fernández’s administration to take over Argentina’s energy sector amidst the meltdown of its economy — which, under Milei, has begun to show signs of recovery. Inflation has reduced dramatically throughout the year and the country is seeing a surplus in its state coffers for the first time in 16 years.
At the time of the report, Infobae stated, China had its eyes set upon exploiting the Paraná-Paraguay waterway, a more than 3,400-kilometer-long natural river transport that allows for continuous navigation between the ports of Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay. The waterway is of a highly strategic value, as it represents a large part of Argentina’s and South America’s grain trade.
Christian K. Caruzo is a Venezuelan writer and documents life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter here.