"In early December, as U.S. forces prepared for a possible attack on Venezuela, a Chinese navy ship sailed near the American armada gathered in the Caribbean. The CNS Silk Road Ark, a massive vessel in China's South Sea Fleet, didn't pose much of a threat to the U.S. warships. But its appearance in the waters near Venezuela presented exactly the kind of split screen Beijing wanted the nations of Latin America to see."
"On one side were the Americans, their ships loaded with missiles and aircraft that had already killed dozens of alleged drug smugglers in strikes on small boats. The U.S. arsenal would soon be used to storm Venezuela's capital and capture its president, Nicolás Maduro. On the other was a floating military hospital on a mission to provide free medical care to thousands of people in the region and, along the way, to burnish China's image as a better partner than the United States."
"Cultivating that image has long been central to Xi Jinping's strategy in Latin America, and the U.S. raid on Caracas may have made that job easier by allowing him to contrast Chinese investments with American intimidation. Since Xi took power, in 2013, China has dished out an impressive slate of business deals, aid packages, loans, and infrastructure projects across the Western Hemisphere."
In early December, U.S. forces massed in the Caribbean preparing for a possible attack on Venezuela while a Chinese navy hospital ship sailed nearby, creating a contrast between military force and humanitarian outreach. The U.S. armada carried missiles and aircraft used in lethal strikes against alleged drug smugglers and was poised to storm Caracas. The Chinese vessel offered free medical care to thousands, reinforcing Beijing's image as a preferable partner. Since 2013, China has expanded loans, investments, and infrastructure projects across Latin America. The U.S. National Security Strategy commits to denying rivals strategic footholds, but China's methodical, well‑financed influence remains resilient.
Read at The Atlantic
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