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Argentina
ChinaDiplomacy

Argentinian foreign minister’s visit to China may signal effort to stabilise ties after President Javier Milei’s pivot to US

  • Diana Mondino’s trip has triggered speculation that she is looking to extend a currency swap with Beijing as the risk of a 10th sovereign debt default looms
  • Milei threatened to cut ties with Beijing on the campaign trail and has strongly pivoted towards the US since taking office

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Argentina’s President Javier Milei had threatened to cut ties, but the end of a credit swap with China could deepen his country’s economic woes. Photo: Reuters
Laura Zhou
Argentinian Foreign Minister Diana Mondino will start a four-day visit to Argentina on Sunday after relations came under heavy strain since President Javier Milei came to power in December.
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Mondino will be accompanied by financial officials – including Central Bank President Santiago Bausili and Secretary of Finance Pablo Quirino and the foreign ministry’s secretary of international economic relations, Marcelo Cima – triggering speculation that she may be hoping to convince Beijing to renew a currency swap to boost Argentina’s dwindling foreign reserves.

Milei, an economist and a right-wing libertarian, threatened to cut off ties with China during his campaign and since taking office, has strongly pivoted towards the United States while pursuing radical economic reforms.

After taking the office, he cancelled the previous government’s plan to join the Brics bloc of emerging economies and has also expressed support for Israel and Ukraine.

Earlier this month, his government sent a delegation of scientists and experts to inspect China’s deep space observation station in Neuquén Province in Argentina’s south after US officials described it as a military installation.

In another move that highlighted Milei’s tilt to the West, Argentina formally requested to join Nato as a global partner last week, days after sealing a deal to buy F-16 fighter jets from Denmark.
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