Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

The US National Security Council (NSC) recently released an important policy paper entitled Overview of Western Hemisphere Strategic Framework, which reflects the strategic consensus and trends of various departments of the US administration.

The US used to attach great importance to the affairs of the Western Hemisphere, especially Latin America, its "backyard," and has recently increased its strategic resources in the region. In December 2019, the US launched a new version of its "Growth in the Americas" initiative, aiming to strengthen economic and trade ties with the region. In July, NSC officials proposed a "Back to the Americas" initiative that would offer financial incentives for US companies to move back to the US or to Latin America from Asia, particularly out of China. In August, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the US Senate put forward a bill to enhance the competitiveness, transparency and security of the Americas against China. This would  expand areas of politics, economics, diplomacy, ideology, security and intelligence. 

The document takes a more comprehensive view of US' regional strategy and outlines its next move in the Western Hemisphere, specifying five strategic goals. Among them, the goal of constructing the "regional community of like-minded partners" drew the most attention as seemingly presented a new outlook of the US that embraces regional multilateralism in Latin America through cooperation. It seems that the US is going to abandon the "America First" doctrine and adopt a posture to stop withdrawal from multilateral organizations. However, the idea does not make sense, only reflects the hypocritical side of US policy toward Latin America - given what the Trump administration has done in the region. 

First of all, the idea of "regional community" is just an excuse for the US to continue supporting right-wing countries and striking at left-wing ones in Latin America. In this way, the US is pushing for political balance in the region to "turn right" in order to consolidate pro-US territory in its "backyard." 

The "community" will have no fundamental difference from the right-wing political interest groups that the US once formed based on ideology. In fact, many people in Latin America are well aware of US government's usual practice of sowing discord in the region. 

Second, an embrace of the regional community intends to legitimize US interference in Latin America. By labeling the region "backyard" and interfering freely in regional affairs, the US has long been criticized by the international community. Although it attaches more importance to a regional community, the Trump administration has not changed its mind to support multilateralism. By contrast, it aims to turn the bloc into a tool for the US to intervene in their domestic affairs legally by manipulating politics, finance, trade and military security in the region.  

The Trump administration's intention to indirectly intervene in Latin America's affairs has actually been opposed by regional countries. For example, former presidents of Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Chile and Uruguay have all stood up against US' attempts to take over the Inter-American Development Bank. 

Third, the proposal conceals US' malicious intent to forge an anti-China alliance and suppress the cooperation between China and Latin America. As early as the end of 2017, the US targeted China's cooperation with regional countries by invoking the Monroe Doctrine. 

Both houses of the US Congress have held hearings on China-Latin America cooperation multiple times. One report from the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission said that the cooperation poses a comprehensive threat to the US. All of the above facts illustrate that the US has regarded China as an important variable in its Latin America policy and cannot accept the rapid development of China's relations with regional countries. 

Viewing the Western Hemisphere as a key link in its global strategic game with China, the US expects countries in the region to take its side by squeezing China's influence out of the region. 

In short, the so-called Western Hemisphere strategic framework reveals US' conspiracy of interference, self-interest, differentiation and exclusion in the region. Latin America is a backyard to no one. The US needs to truly show goodwill by treating the region equally, otherwise all kinds of "initiatives," "ideas" and "strategic frameworks" that the US proposes will only be self-defeating. This will push Latin America farther away.

The authors are scholars with the Institute of Latin-American Studies and the Institute of American Studies, China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn