China has once again rejected American efforts to pressure Latin American nations into reducing ties with Beijing, with a foreign ministry spokesperson asserting the region's right to choose its own development partners independently, Xinhua reported.

The rebuke comes months after Beijing significantly expanded its presence in the region through a comprehensive cooperation package worth billions of dollars.

Speaking at a regular briefing on September 18, foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian responded to recent media reports suggesting the Trump administration has intensified pressure on regional governments to limit Chinese engagement throughout the year.

"Latin America is no one's backyard and has the right to independently choose development path and cooperation partners," Lin stated, addressing what he characterised as coercive American tactics.

The spokesperson's remarks followed reporting by major international publications indicating the United States has pursued what observers describe as an aggressive approach towards the region, citing concerns over Chinese influence whilst offering limited alternatives to regional partners.

According to these accounts, American sanctions, tariffs and military posturing have paradoxically driven Latin American nations closer to Beijing rather than achieving Washington's stated objectives of countering what it terms China's "exploitative practices."

"The commentary yet again shows that coercion and pressuring as well as bullying only serve to push countries away and will increasingly not work," Lin observed.

The Chinese official emphasised Beijing's balanced approach to regional partnerships, describing China and Latin America as "good friends and good partners for equality, mutual benefit and common development."

He characterised Chinese engagement with Latin American and Caribbean nations as based on "openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation," arguing that strengthened ties serve mutual interests.

The spokesperson welcomed other nations developing cooperative relationships with the region, provided they were "based on equality and respect," whilst criticising American tactics.

Lin called on Washington to "stop forcing them to choose sides, stop interfering in their domestic affairs and do more to contribute to their development and prosperity, instead of meddling and sowing discord."

Concluding his remarks, the spokesperson dismissed American efforts to disrupt Chinese-Latin American cooperation: "No attempt to disrupt China's friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation with Latin America will ever succeed."

The diplomatic row unfolds against the backdrop of China's rapidly expanding engagement with the region. At the fourth China-CELAC Forum in Beijing in May, President Xi Jinping announced a CNY66bn ($9.2bn) credit line for Latin American and Caribbean countries, marking a significant escalation in Beijing's regional outreach.

Bilateral trade between China and CELAC nations ballooned to $515bn in 2024, a dramatic surge from merely $12bn in 2000. China has now overtaken the United States as the primary trading partner for several major regional economies, including Brazil, Peru and Chile.

The comprehensive cooperation package Xi unveiled included programmes spanning political cooperation, economic development, security cooperation and cultural exchanges. Beijing pledged to facilitate visa-free travel for five Latin American countries initially, provide law enforcement training, and offer 3,500 government scholarships.

Notably, the credit line's denomination in yuan rather than dollars reflects China's strategic push to reduce dependence on the US currency in international trade. Two-thirds of Latin American countries have already joined China's Belt and Road Initiative, with Colombia formally announcing its participation during the May summit.

The latest statement from Beijing reflects growing tensions with Washington over influence in what the United States has historically considered its sphere of influence, as Latin American nations juggle competing great power interests with their sovereign right to diversify partnerships.