China calls US commander’s remarks at Quito security conference ‘ridiculous’ | Security | news

The Chinese Embassy in Ecuador issued a statement following statements by US Southern Command Commander Laura Richardson at the 2022 South American Security Conference in Quito.

“Without concealing the intention to confuse public opinion and to slander and attack China and Sino-Ecuadorian relations without any basis, the commander made absurd statements about China,” the embassy text said.

“China is playing chess,” Richardson insisted, adding that mining companies have polluted rivers and that the country is responsible for illegal fishing, citing the protected zone of the Galapagos Islands.

Organized crime seeks to destabilize governments, US commander tells security conference in Quito

They responded from China, Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Juan Carlos Holguin confirmed on several occasions that close contacts are maintained between the two countries for fisheries cooperation.

Ecuador was also accused of receiving 14,988 tons of waste from the United States in the past two years. This is due to research by The Lost Beach initiative to reduce plastic pollution.

“These figures make Ecuador the third largest recipient of plastic waste from the United States in Latin America,” the text points out.

The four-page letter also refers to reports in other sectors mentioned by the Chinese embassy, ​​which it claims are slanderous without any evidence.

Meanwhile, this Thursday, September 15, will see the second day of conferences with representatives from eleven countries in the region and other countries attending as special guests. (YO)