Reference News Network, January 23 report: According to the website of the U.S. "Newsweek" magazine on January 21, Chinese naval vessels made their first port call in Uruguay, expanding China's influence in the Western Hemisphere. This region is viewed by the United States as a strategic focus area.
The Chinese Navy's hospital ship "Silk Road Ark" arrived on January 20 at Montevideo Port in Uruguay, located in the South Atlantic, for a four-day technical stopover. This is part of the ship's "Harmony Mission-2025" mission.
The report stated that against the backdrop of the United States tightening its control over the Western Hemisphere, China released a policy document on Latin America and the Caribbean in December last year, expressing willingness to work with countries that have established diplomatic relations with Latin America and the Caribbean to "oppose hegemonism," and that bilateral relations are not subject to any third party.
The report said that the Chinese Navy has three hospital ships with a displacement of more than 10,000 tons, which can provide medical services. Since 2010, they have been carrying out the "Harmony Mission" tasks, covering Africa, the Americas, Asia, and the Pacific region.
According to the report, the "Silk Road Ark" which had previously called at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, will organize activities such as friendly football matches during its stopover in Uruguay, in addition to appropriate supplies.
When the "Silk Road Ark" left China for a 220-day mission, Xinhua reported that the ship plans to visit more than a dozen countries in the South Pacific and Latin America.
In addition to visiting Brazil, the hospital ship also plans to provide medical services in Peru and Chile along the Pacific coast of South America.
Additionally, the hospital ship is planned to visit Mexico.
The report pointed out that Uruguay is one of China's important partners in Latin America, and the two countries have established a comprehensive strategic partnership. Uruguay has also joined the "Belt and Road" initiative, and China is its largest trading partner.
In November last year, President of Uruguay, Yamandú Orsi, told Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang that he is willing to strengthen communication and cooperation with China to safeguard the free and open international trade system and multilateralism.
The report said that the "China's Policy Document on Latin America and the Caribbean" mentions that China will actively carry out military exchanges and cooperation with Latin American and Caribbean countries, expand friendly exchanges between defense and military leaders of both sides, strengthen policy dialogue and establish mechanisms for working meetings. (Translation by Xu Yanhong)
Original: toutiao.com/article/7598373706133422601/
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