US, China diplomats clash over tech spying and trade hub claims in Latin America

Diplomats for China and the US in Latin America have traded brickbats on social media over alleged espionage risks posed by Chinese tech firms in the region, in the latest sign of the two powers’ unfolding strategic tensions in the western hemisphere.

US assistant secretary of state for western hemisphere affairs Juan Pablo Segura named telecoms giants Huawei Technologies, ZTE and Hytera, surveillance equipment makers Hikvision and Dahua, and drone heavyweight DJI in a post on social media on Saturday.

“Chinese law forces these suppliers to cooperate with Beijing’s intelligence services, creating risks of spying, hacking and network shutdowns,” Segura warned, describing their products as “high-risk technologies”.

“We urge US partners in the Americas to quickly switch to trusted suppliers to protect their people and their sovereignty,” Segura concluded in his post, which was shared by the US embassy in Panama minutes later.

Beijing’s diplomatic mission in Panama hit back on Sunday with a statement published on its website that rejected Washington’s accusation as lacking “the slightest factual basis”.

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The statement also suggested that it was the United States that had been engaging in intelligence activities across the region, while acting like a thief shouting “stop thief” and beating the victims.