The Foreign Minister of Argentina, Diana Mondino, has concluded her first trip to China. This is the first such diplomatic envoy representing President Javier Milei’s libertarian government. Mondino declared that Buenos Aires maintains a friendly stance towards the Communist Country, despite Milei’s rhetoric calling for more distance between his country and China’s anti-libertarian political culture.
Argentina’s internal political situation, she said in a conversation with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, will not alter its policy of friendliness towards China.
Mondino’s four-day trip saw her meeting with both business leaders from regime-affiliated companies such as Xiaomi and Huawei, and with officials of the Communist party, as she reportedly solicited more foreign investment into Argentina. The move is understandable, as Argentina is currently weathering the worst financial crisis in its history precipitated by the two decades of socialist rule which led directly to Milei’s 2023 Presidential election victory.
Milei, who identifies as an anarcho-capitalist and libertarian, and who was an economist before beginning his political career, actively and vocally opposes all forms of what he calls “left-wing collectivism,” including and especially communism. He has previously declared China a genocidal and murderous regime, and vowed during his campaign not to pursue further ties with any communist country, including Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, North Korea, and China.
Modino’s tone on this visit was, needless to say, much gentler. She stated that Argentina was intent on openness to Chinese investment and to Chinese enterprises that wished to do business in Argentina. She underscored that previous Argentinian commitments to China, made by the prior socialist administrations, would remain in force—including those parts of the Belt and Road Initiative which touch Argentina. She also affirmed Argentina’s commitment to a One-China policy, which declines to formally recognize the existence of Taiwan as an independent country. She promised continuing cooperation with Chinese in matters involving space travel, Antarctica, infrastructure construction, trade, finance, and tourism that emerge from the Belt and Road framework.
