ISTANBUL

Beijing on Monday urged the US against disrupting cooperation between China and Latin American countries, accusing Washington of “sowing discord” between the two sides.

Beijing’s remarks came after US military commander Alvin Holsey said recently in a defense conference in Argentina that China continues to “extract precious resources” from the Western Hemisphere.

"Such US allegations represent nothing but a worn-out narrative divorced from reality, which once again exposes the ingrained Cold War mentality and confrontational mindset” of some individuals in the US, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a news conference in Beijing.

He added that Beijing has carried out practical cooperation in various fields with Latin American and Caribbean countries “in the spirit of mutual respect, quality, mutual benefit, openness, inclusiveness and cooperation.”

In contrast, Guo emphasized that the US “has spared no effort in interfering with and controlling Latin America and the Caribbean. Its hegemonic and bullying actions are all too evident.”

"Latin America and the Caribbean are no one's backyard," he said, adding that Beijing’s cooperation with Latin American countries does not target any third party, and should not be disrupted by any third party.

The US “should cease its attempts to sow discord and create troubles out of nothing, and instead focus on contributing more to the development of Latin American and Caribbean countries," Guo added.

In 2024, bilateral trade between China and Latin American nations reached $518.4 billion.