Reuters: US Lawmakers Warn of Chinese Involvement in Argentine Contract Bids, Fearing National Security Impact

According to a letter seen by Reuters, US House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast warned Secretary of State Marco Rubio about "Chinese malicious influence" in a major Argentine contract bid. The letter, dated April 23, expresses concern over a 25-year contract for dredging and operating Argentina's Parana River, a vital waterway handling most of Argentina's agricultural exports, with an estimated investment of $10 billion. The tender explicitly prohibits state-owned enterprises, aiming to prevent Chinese companies from bidding. However, Mast stated in his letter that China is attempting to "circumvent this through private proxies." He raised "serious concerns" that the leading bidder, Belgian dredging company Jan De Nul, through its alliance member Servimagnus, "maintains deep and continuous ties with state-owned entities of the People's Republic of China." Jan De Nul and Servimagnus denied the allegations as "completely false and malicious." The Trump administration, a close ally of Argentine President Javier Milei, has previously expressed concerns about China's growing influence in Latin America. China was Argentina's second-largest trading partner as of March this year.