The Chinese embassy in the Dominican Republic on Sunday accused its American counterpart of spreading “defamatory” remarks by sharing statements made by a U.S. official warning of the potential security dangers that come with using Chinese tech.
Over the past year, Trump administration officials have warned America’s Latin American allies of the great risks that come with using technology equipment made by Huawei, ZTE, and other companies linked to the Chinese communist party. The U.S. State Department’s Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Juan Pablo Segura reiterated the dangers of using Chinese tech in a social media post last week. Segura emphasized that Beijing forces tech companies to cooperate with the regime’s intelligence services, creating risks of spying, hacking, and network shutdowns.
“We urge U.S. partners in the Americas to quickly switch to trusted suppliers to protect their people and their sovereignty,” Segura wrote.
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On Saturday, the U.S. Embassy in Santo Domingo published a Spanish language translation of Segura’s post. The translation appears to have drawn the ire of the Chinese embassy in Santo Domingo, which published a response statement claiming that the U.S. official is spreading “unfounded accusations and defamatory claims against Chinese technology companies on social media.”
“Such claims are nothing more than pure fabrication and a deliberate distortion of reality; they reflect a Cold War mentality and expose the arrogance and prejudice of the United States. The Chinese side expresses its strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to this matter,” the statement read.
The Chinese embassy claimed that Chinese tech companies are known for their “advanced technologies, excellent value for money, and secure and efficient services.” In the case of the Dominican Republic and other Latin American and Caribbean countries, the embassy affirmed that said companies have “always strictly complied” with local laws and regulations and allegedly contributed to socioeconomic development and job creation.:
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“These Chinese companies are firmly committed to enriching and improving people’s lives, and they are, without a doubt, reliable and trustworthy partners,” the Chinese embassy claimed. “The U.S. comments amount to technological intimidation and unilateral coercion; any reasonable person can see this clearly and will not be fooled.”
“We advise the U.S. side to put an end to political manipulation and irresponsible statements, to stop interfering with the right of sovereign states to freely choose their cooperation partners, and to make more practical contributions that truly benefit the prosperity and stability of the Latin American and Caribbean region,” the text continued.
The government of the Dominican Republic has not publicly commented on the situation at press time.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian referred to Assistant Secretary Seguro’s warnings during his regular press briefing on Monday. Lin condemned the remarks as “full of-fact distorting fabrications” and as a mean to allegedly conduct “blatant tech-bullying” and coercion against Chinese tech companies. Per the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Lin defended Chinese tech companies by repeating the same statements previously issued by the embassy in Santo Domingo over the weekend.
“We advise the U.S. to stop its political manipulation, stop interfering with sovereign nations’ right to independently choose cooperation partners, and instead contribute to prosperity and stability in Latin America and the Caribbean through concrete actions,” Lin said.
The Chinese embassy’s rant against the State Department official comes months after the Chinese embassy in Panama engaged in similar behavior against U.S. Ambassador Kevin Marino Cabrera. In May, Ambassador Cabrera warned in an interview with a local newspaper that Huawei and other Chinese tech companies are not trustworthy. At the time, the Chinese regime, through its embassy, accused Cabrera of “denigrating” Huawei and spreading rumors about China.
The administration of Dominican President Luis Abinader has deepened its ties with the United States following the start of President Donald Trump’s second term, collaborating with U.S. forces in the joint fight against drug-trafficking and other national security-related issues. On Saturday, Dominican Foreign Minister Ito Bisonó, who took office earlier this month, held a telephone conversation with Secretary of State Marco Rubio in which both officials addressed bilateral trade, investment, and strategic sectors opportunities.
Per the Dominican Foreign Ministry, Bisonó reiterated his country’s interest in continuing to work closely with the United States and advancing initiatives that create greater opportunities for both countries. The Ministry described the telephone conversation as part of the new Foreign Minister’s efforts to “strengthen strategic ties with the United States and advance a shared agenda of cooperation, security, and shared prosperity.”
Christian K. Caruzo is a Venezuelan writer and documents life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter here.
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