Texas Gov. Greg Abbott warned of apparently rapidly expanding Chinese government influence in Latin America, criticizing President Joe Biden for his lack of action.
Abbott, who has been an outspoken critic of the Biden administration’s handling of international security, said Americans need to pay more attention to the positioning that the hostile foreign government has reportedly taken in Central and South America.
“Texas stands prominently at the gateway of our nation and Latin American countries as the foremost trading partner that advances our economies,” Abbott wrote in an opinion piece for Fox News. “But this progress comes amid new challenges that threaten the sovereignty and viability of Latin American states, global democracy and America’s national security.”
“Armed with predatory loan terms and virtually no accountability, China’s sights are firmly set on our southern neighbors,” he continued. “As witnessed in other developing regions, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leverages lavish investments to build geopolitical influence, target strategic sectors of sovereign nations’ economies, and develop military capabilities in 147 countries, including at least 13 countries in Latin America.”
Calling attention to a possible military training facility in Cuba, the Lone Star governor suggested that China’s strategic move in Latin America could strangle Texas commerce in the Gulf of Mexico and beyond.
“CCP officials in Argentina are working to establish a naval base at Tierra del Fuego that would grant the Chinese Navy control of a key passage connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, as well as access to the entire region’s communications and maritime transit,” Abbott said. “Chinese companies also dominate infrastructure across the Panama Canal.”
The governor then turned to China’s alleged role in the devastating illicit drugs that have poured over the Southern border, saying, “As America confronts a devastating fentanyl crisis, Chinese-produced synthetic opioid precursors are pouring into Mexico for cartels to manufacture and smuggle across our southern border.”
Chinese ambitions are not limited to the sea or drugs but include infrastructure, energy, and technology as well, according to Abbott.
“State-owned PowerChina is active in 50 ongoing projects across more than a dozen Latin American nations,” he explained. “As the Biden administration undercuts America’s energy independence, China is shoring up its own supplies through vast commodity-backed loans.”
“Twelve of China’s largest tech companies, including Huawei, China Telecom, and ZTE – all sanctioned by the United States – have set up operations in 15 Latin American countries since 2015, building data centers, telecoms networks, smart cities and 5G projects,” Abbott explained. “In fact, 80% of Mexico’s telecommunications system comes from China, not the U.S.”
He claimed, “Texas has taken aggressive measures to contain China’s attempts to exert influence in our state,” pointing to the Lone Star Infrastructure Protection Act in 2021 and the TikTok ban for state-issued devices in 2023.
“However, we must all recognize the CCP as the calculating force behind strategic investments in America’s backyard,” Gov. Abbott concluded. “Texas hears China knocking at our door. Will President Biden finally act?”
Responses to the op-ed were mixed, and some social media users called attention to security measures Texas purportedly failed to take in response to growing Chinese influence.
For example, Mynard Pamela suggested, “They already own land near our military bases here IN Texas. Perhaps you should check that out.”
Similarly, Cynthia Dyanne added, “Calling you out on this: You have allowed China [to] purchase Texas land under your watch. Will you be taking it back?”
A bill was filed in the most recent general session of the Texas Legislature to prevent entities and individuals from hostile foreign countries from buying up land, but the legislation died in the House under the leadership of Speaker Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont).
Jack Marurus said on Twitter, “If it was anyone else talking, I might listen.”
“Your credibility is shot. You have limited access to the information you need to set international policy, and you cater to a constituency that is typically deluded, aggressive, paranoid, and ignorant,” he claimed. “I’ll stick [with] Biden.”
