Controversy After China Visit Interview
Local Media: "No Achievements from China Visit"
Argentina's Foreign Minister Diana Mondino sparked controversy with a racist remark saying "All Chinese people are the same" during a media interview.
Minister Mondino visited China last weekend with a large economic delegation, including the Governor of the Central Bank of Argentina and the Deputy Minister of Economy, to request an extension of the $5 billion (6.795 trillion KRW) currency swap agreement set to expire in June and to discuss economic cooperation with China.
Local media reported on the 3rd (local time) that immediately after her visit to China, Minister Mondino told the Argentine daily Clar?n in an interview, "No one could confirm the presence of military personnel at the Chinese base in the Patagonia region of Argentina," adding, "They are Chinese, and all the same."
The phrase "All East Asians look the same" implies that East Asians have small eyes and low noses, making it difficult to distinguish one from another, and is considered a representative example of East Asian derogatory remarks.
China signed an agreement with Argentina in 2014 to build a base in the southern Patagonia region for satellite launches and academic purposes. However, rumors recently spread that the base might actually have military uses. The Argentine government dispatched an investigation team but found no military personnel or related matters. Minister Mondino's remark came during the process of clarifying this issue.
As the controversy grew, Minister Mondino defended herself, saying, "What I meant was that there were no military personnel, and they were all civilians."
Nevertheless, local reactions included questions such as, "How can a high-ranking official, especially the foreign minister, disparage China, an important trade partner of their own country?" The controversy was widely covered by multiple broadcasts, and criticism of Minister Mondino poured in on social media (SNS).
Meanwhile, local media reported that aside from the racial slur controversy, Minister Mondino's visit to China did not yield significant results. The Chinese side praised Argentina as "an important economic partner of China," but did not give a definite answer regarding the extension of the currency swap.
Argentina is currently facing an economic crisis with declining purchasing power within four months due to budget cuts by President Milei, who took office last December advocating "anarcho-capitalism." The annual inflation rate is 288.9%, one of the highest in the world, and the cumulative inflation rate over the past two months is 26%.
President Milei, a right-wing economist, harshly criticized communists during his presidential campaign, saying, "Communists are murderers and do not understand freedom," and declared, "I will not trade with communist countries like China." However, after his election, he is reportedly seeking to improve relations with China.
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