Diana Mondino vs. China: “There’s not much to gain from countries that don’t have liberal democracies”

In the midst of a diplomatic tour of Asian countries, Diana Mondino, Argentina’s foreign minister, stoked tensions with China by reiterating her criticism of the Asian giant in an interview with the Japanese media Nikkei. There’s not much to gain by working together with some countries that don’t have liberal democracies,” he said during the interview. The minister, in tune with the rhetoric of economist and politician Javier Milei, stated that “only private companies buy or sell to Chinese companies”, thus reinforcing the idea that the Argentine government should not intervene in the commercial decisions of companies. In addition to his criticism of China, Mondino also questioned the potential of the BRICS, noting that the bloc was overrated and that its nature is more politically oriented than economic. Along these lines, he advocated reforming the role of Mercosur, proposing that “free trade agreements” be the main option for regional integration and highlighting the need “for other countries in the region to believe the same.” On the domestic front, Mondino referred to the reforms promoted by the national administration, highlighting the importance of individual freedom in various aspects of daily life. “We are allowing people to decide their own work schedule, to use their maternity leave period, for people to decide when and how to get divorced,” she said. “Once people taste freedom, I firmly believe that they will be happy,” he concluded.

Original source in Spanish