China Doesn’t Play Monroe Doctrine, ‘America’s Backyard’ on Fire?

"Latin America" refers to the region south of the United States, including Mexico, Central America, the West Indies and South America. Latin America has a total of 34 countries and regions. For a long time, it has also been called "America's backyard,” and America keeps a close eye on it. Latin America is the reason for America's Monroe Doctrine. The Monroe Doctrine, published in 1823, reveals the attitudes of the United States of America back then, such as those against Europe's great powers colonizing America or Europe's right to set foot in America or Mexico. Regarding disputes between European countries or wars between every country and its American colony, America remains neutral. If similar wars occured in America, America would see them as signs of hostility. The doctrine was an effective strategy that let America grow from a weak little country to a strong and supreme one; of course, there are mixed responses to this. Within the doctrine is America's ambition to control Latin America.

With this, we can understand that any country crossing paths with Latin America will attract suspicion of offending America's strategic interests. China is no exception.

The first China-Latin America and the Caribbean Forum (China-CELAC) for foreign ministers had its grand opening on Jan. 8 in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. At the ceremony, President Xi Jinping delivered a speech entitled "Jointly Writing a New Chapter of the China-CELAC Comprehensive Cooperative Partnership." Xi stated, "We should make joint efforts to achieve the goal of raising the trade volume between China and the CELAC to $500 billion and China's direct investment volume in the Latin American region to $250 billion within 10 years." It appears that comprehensive cooperation with Latin America is a goal upon which China is settled.

The China-CELAC Forum, taking place in Beijing for the first time, not only clearly showed Latin America's important place in China's diplomatic layout, but has even improved China's global partnership network and turned the world's eyes once again to China's first round of diplomacy in 2015. Of course, this artful South-South cooperation also arouses doubt.

There is some public worry that China has moved America's "cheese" in Latin America — that is, worry that China is a threat to America's interests in Latin America. There are also some foreign media claiming that China intentionally uses the forum to implement Asia-Pacific rebalancing in America's backyard, planting itself in America's geostrategic territory.

However, in reality, we believe that China means not to fight with America for interests in Latin America, but [wants] everyone to benefit.

This is because China's rapid increase in demand for Latin America's mineral resources and bulky goods will boost Latin America's economic momentum, taking some burden off America's shoulders. Moreover, President Xi Jinping has already expressed that the Chinese economy will maintain a new semi-rapid growth, providing more marketing, investment and cooperation opportunities to countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. This makes it clear that China's investment in Latin America is continual and stable, and Latin America has always profited from China. As a matter of fact, China-Latin America cooperation happens to serve as Latin America's main economic momentum, and these South-South relations will help build a more prosperous and open Latin America.

China-Latin America relations may have had a late start, but they have developed quickly. Especially in this new century, this cooperation across the Pacific Ocean constantly picks up speed, and both parties have discovered the value of each other's cooperation. Since China's policy paper on Latin America and the Caribbean was published in 2008, China and Latin America have entered the fast lane, and now China is already Latin America's second largest trade partner and third largest source of investment. In the future, they can broaden their field of cooperation through this forum. We are certain that every country will reach out to cooperate in fields such as energy resources, construction of basic facilities, agriculture, manufacturing and technological innovation.

Actually, many Chinese and foreign scholars have recently shared their perspectives on current China-Latin America relations. Dr. Wang Youming, director of the Department for Developing Countries Studies at the China Institute of International Studies, states that even though China's economic interests in Latin America increase rapidly, they have not changed America's position or overall regional structure there. America has no need to worry about "China factors" growing day by day. Jin Canrong, associate dean of the School of International Studies at Renmin University of China, adds that ever since America's Asia-Pacific rebalancing, China-Latin America relations have escalated, especially in terms of strategy; but up to now, the economy is still their strongest tie. Therefore, America is not at all on its guard. It views Latin America as a poor family member, so China sending money to help Latin America's economic independence is worthy of America's approval. As long as conflict between China and America does not stand out, there will not be so much tension.

Margaret Myers, program director of the China-Latin America Initiative of the Inter-American Dialogue, states that Latin America was never good at thinking or developing as a whole, and existing problems will not immediately end with China’s forum. She says, “If China can push Latin America’s integration forward through the forum or other diplomatic initiatives, then that’s fantastic.”* Bruno Ayllón, researcher and famous scholar from the School of International Relations at the National Institute of Advanced Studies of Ecuador, states that the increasingly intimate cooperation between Latin America and the Caribbean and China will have huge influences on the structure of the world. China and Latin America have different national conditions, so their unique advantages can combine to benefit one another and suit everyone’s interests.

From this, we can clearly see that China's interactions with "America's backyard" focus on economic interests and balance. These are completely different from America's activities in Asia, because the Asia-Pacific rebalancing strategy focuses on strategic interests and even military alliance interests. So China is not starting a fire in "America's backyard" — it is America igniting China's borders. There is no way to discuss both of these on the same day.

We also believe that the relationship between China's development and Latin America's, and that between America's development and Latin America's do not go together. The development of China-Latin America relations benefits America and other regions of the world. China has persevered on its path of peaceful development, maintaining a direction of closeness, loyalty, favor and inclusiveness. We have never practiced the Monroe Doctrine or hegemony. This diplomatic tactic works with our surrounding countries, and it works with Latin America. On Nov. 18, 2013 in Washington, John Kerry said that the Monroe Doctrine is over, and that country relations in the Americas are built on a foundation of balanced partnership and joint responsibility. Never again will the U.S. devote itself to interfering with the affairs of other countries of the Americas. This being the case, it should not turn to conspiracy theories about China's friendly interaction with Latin America.

The ghost of the Monroe Doctrine may yet linger, but it cannot resist the sun's rays. China does not pursue exclusive interests in Latin America, and it does not wish to contend with the U.S. for "backyard sovereignty" and thereby put U.S. territory at risk. Rather, we seek harmonious development, and societies across the world should know this. Followers of the Monroe Doctrine cannot simply coin a “China threat" theory and distort China's true intentions. The sky is vast, cooperative trends are becoming global and no one can obstruct us.

We also hope that China-Latin America interactions will be transparent from now on, so that the world will have more knowledge and trust. China does not play the Monroe Doctrine game — because it has no intention to control Latin America. It has not a single stick of firewood, and any criticisms that say it is playing with fire are groundless.

*Editor's note: Accurately translated, this quotation could not be verified.