SAnto Domingo.- The journey of Marco Rubio, Secretary of State for the United Statesby Panama, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic He represented a setback for the presence of China in the region, according to Juan González, a political scientist and an expert in international relations.
The specialist said the growing dispute Between China and the United States was the main reason why Rubio chose the region for his first visit as Secretary of State.
He also indicated that, in addition to counteracting Chinese influence, the official’s agenda focused on the fight against drug trafficking and migration.
González, who is a professor at the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD), stressed that, in Panama, the first destination of Rubio, the commitment to reduce Chinese investment in the ports of Columbus and Balboa was achieved, strategically located in the interoceanic channel .
In addition, he highlighted that country from the belt initiative and silk routemegaproject with which China seeks to consolidate its global commercial domain through investments in key infrastructure, such as ports, airports and railways.
He also indicated that Rubio praised Guatemala for maintaining diplomatic relations with Taiwan and also congratulated Costa Rica for excluding Chinese companies from the tender for the development of their 5G network.
Likewise, he pointed out that the secretary of State urged El Salvador to avoid the use of Chinese technology in its strategy to become a Regional Technological Hub.
Relationship between the US and Dominican Republic
Regarding the Dominican Republic, González stressed that President Luis Abinader defined the United States as a strategic partner since his arrival in power in 2020, in recognition of solid economic relations that both countries have historically maintained.
In that context, the international relations expert stressed that, in 2024, the Dominican Republic received income from United States for around 21 billion dollars, While those from China were less than 500 million dollars, which reflects a marked difference in the economic relationship with both superpowers.
The political scientist said that Rubio showed a more deferential treatment towards the Dominican Republic compared to the other countries visited, due to the solidity of bilateral relations in a context of growing rivalry between China and the United States.
Latin America against the rivalry between China and the United States
The international relations expert said that the rise of Xi Jinping in 2013 marked a turning point in the rivalry between China and the United States, which was exacerbated from the first administration of Donald Trump (2017-2021).
He explained that, while the Indo-Pacific countries have adopted a pragmatic approach to manage competition between both superpowers, Latin American leaders minimized the impact of this dispute, under the perception that the US has lost its global hegemony and, by Ende, its ability to influence the region.
However, he said that, today from Mexico to Chile, governments have begun to look for strategies to face a scenario in which the rivalry between both powers is inescapable.
González concluded that Marco Rubio had an outstanding performance on his first visit abroad, when strengthening the leadership of the United States in the countries visited, in the face of China’s increase in the influence of China in the region.
