China rejected statements on its cooperation with Latin America made by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio during his recent visit to several countries in the region.
"The unfounded comments by the United States, imbued with Cold War mentality and ideological prejudices, are baseless accusations aimed at sowing discord between China and Latin American countries," said the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
The spokesman described as irreversible the will of his government to work together to strengthen cooperation between the Asian giant and the region.
Beijing also rejected the actions of the United States to sabotage the activities carried out within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
In this regard, he regretted Panama's decision not to renew the IFR Memorandum of Understanding, and urged the Central American nation to exclude "outside interference" and "make the right decision."
The Initiative has benefited people in more than 150 countries, including more than 20 in Latin America, said the Foreign Ministry, which also valued the relations that have been maintained with the Central American nation, within the framework of the IFR, as productive and with tangible results for both peoples.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry expressed its support for Panama's sovereignty over the Canal and its commitment to maintaining the waterway as a neutral international route.
On the accusations of having control of the Canal, it said they were "completely unjustified", and asserted that the world knows the truth about who maintains neutrality and who continues to threaten to "bring back" control of the interoceanic waterway.
