US anxiety as China prepares to clinch nuclear deal with Argentina
Beijing's increasing influence in its 'backyard' puts the US on edge
Buenos Aires/Washington — Argentina and China are aiming to close a deal within days for the construction of the South American nation’s fourth nuclear power plant, a multibillion-dollar project that would cement Beijing’s deepening influence on a key regional ally of the US. Argentina hopes to announce an agreement on the Chinese-financed construction of the Atucha III nuclear power plant during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit on Sunday following the summit of leaders of G20 industrialised nations in Buenos Aires, Juan Pablo Tripodi, head of Argentina’s national investment agency, said in an interview. The potential deal, reportedly worth up to $8bn, is emblematic of China’s strengthening of economic, diplomatic and cultural ties with Argentina. It is part of a wider push by Beijing into Latin America that has alarmed the US, which views the region as its backyard and is suspicious of China’s motives. The focus of this week’s meeting between US President Donald Trump and...
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