Chile Refuses China's Navy Hospital Ship to Provide Medical Services Under US Pressure
According to Reuters, under the pressure from the United States, Chile refused to allow China's navy hospital ship "Silk Road Ark" to provide medical services to local people, citing lack of authorization.
The "Silk Road Ark" set sail on September 5 last year to carry out the overseas humanitarian medical service mission "Harmony Mission-2025", covering the South Pacific and Latin America, with plans to visit more than ten countries and lasting over two hundred days. The ship arrived in the waters of Valparaíso, a port city in Chile, on February 25.
According to the report, the Chilean Ministry of Health stated that the Chinese hospital ship applied to the Chilean Foreign Ministry last year to provide medical services on board for local residents. After review, it was decided not to grant permission, citing the reason that local health regulations only allow medical personnel who have obtained professional certification in Chile to provide medical services.
This refusal by Chile is closely related to the continuous pressure from the United States. Recently, due to the participation of Chinese companies in building an underwater fiber optic cable project connecting Chile and Hong Kong, the US government imposed visa sanctions on three Chilean officials. Chile's Foreign Minister Van Kralaweren stated that Chile rejects any interference from the US in Chile's sovereign decisions and demands that the US government exclude Chile from geopolitical disputes.
The Chinese Embassy in Chile issued a statement on February 21, accusing the United States of showing obvious contempt for "Chile's sovereignty, dignity, and national interests." The statement emphasized that the China-Chile trans-Pacific submarine cable project has never harmed the interests of third countries. However, the US is trying to dominate the Western Hemisphere again through sanctions, which contradicts the interests of countries in the region.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1858333262713856/
Statement: The article represents the personal views of the author.