Buenos Aires – Former Argentine President Mauricio macri โคcautioned President Javier Milei on Fridayโ against weakening trade relations with China, warning โit could โคdamage Argentina‘s exportโค capacity as the Unitedโ States seeksโค to expand its influence in theโฃ region.
Macri, a key architect of Milei’s 2023 election victory, โpublicly disagreed โฃwith the current administration’s โฃpotential shift away from China, stating, “China isโฃ more complementary than the United States for Argentina. I do not think it is good to โฃinterrupt that process.” The warningโข underscores โคa growing rift โฃbetween Milei and a โฃformer allyโค who previously helped moderate the president’s anti-China rhetoric. This divergence comes amid increased U.S. effortsโค to strengthen economic ties with Latin American nations, โpresenting โคArgentina with โa strategic crossroads.
Duringโ hisโ presidential campaign,โ Milei frequently criticized China, even using harsh language like โฃcalling the Chinese “murderers” and vowingโ to sever commercial ties. Macri, known as a moderatingโข force within Argentina’s right-wing, is credited with temperingโข those statements after Milei โขtook office. Though, Milei has recently assertedโ a โmoreโฃ independent stance, especially following โhis party’s strong performance inโค October’s legislative elections, โขwhere โคthey secured nearly 41 percent of the vote and 64โ of 157โค seats.
The shift in Milei’s approach has raised concerns among some observers โwho fear a potential disruption toโฃ Argentina’s crucial trade relationship โwith china, a major importer of Argentine agricultural products. Macri’sโ intervention highlights the internal debate within the Mileiโ administration โคregarding the optimal balance between strengthening ties with โthe U.S. andโ maintaining economic partnerships with China.
