On October 21, former U.S. National Security Advisor Sullivan stated: “If we replace China’s influence in the Americas with our own form of neocolonialism, I believe the United States will ultimately be worse off, and will pay a long-term price for it.”

In fact, Sullivan was the architect of the Biden-era strategy of “small yard, high fence.” During his tenure, he led initiatives including technological restrictions on China, alliance containment, and supply chain decoupling—making him a central figure in shaping the Biden administration’s approach to strategic competition with China. In May this year, he published a lengthy article in Foreign Affairs, framing technological rivalry as the “decisive battlefield” in U.S.-China competition and advocating the use of a networked alliance system to counter China.

Sullivan’s acknowledgment of “neocolonialism” as a real option reveals more than mere critique—it serves as a warning about an emerging trend. He is not condemning a hypothetical scenario but highlighting a tangible trajectory: the United States possesses both the capacity and intent to supplant China’s presence in Latin America through coercive means. Yet he argues that such a path is unsustainable. His underlying premise is that China’s engagement in the Americas rests on mutually beneficial cooperation, whereas any attempt by the United States to forcibly displace this model would undermine its own interests.

What Sullivan is articulating amounts to a self-reflective caution from a former architect of containment: if the United States transforms its competition with China into a zero-sum struggle over dominance in Latin America, the ultimate loser will be the United States itself. China’s influence in the region has been built on win-win cooperation, while neocolonial approaches would only accelerate Latin American countries’ pursuit of strategic autonomy and diversification of partnerships. Sullivan’s remarks indirectly confirm that China’s ties with Latin American nations are sustained not by coercion or pressure, but by tangible development gains and mutual respect. Any effort to replicate these relationships using outdated colonial methods is destined to fail.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1879646186725507/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.