US actions in LAC reflect 'relative power decline', Chinese scholar says

Attempts by the United States to treat Latin America and the Caribbean as its exclusive "sphere of influence" reflect outdated thinking, a Chinese scholar said on Tuesday.

Cui Shoujun, a professor at the School of International Studies at Renmin University of China, made the remarks at an event when asked to comment on Washington's intensified intervention in the LAC region and how to interpret what some have described as a revival of the Monroe Doctrine or the so-called Donroe Doctrine.

Cui pointed to the case in which the US has unilaterally labeled the leader of Venezuela, a sovereign state, as a "criminal" under its domestic law as a way to bypass congressional authorization and constraints imposed by international law — thereby creating a pretext for military intervention.

Such practices, he said, can be seen as a variant of "long-arm jurisdiction", violating the principles of sovereign equality and non-interference enshrined in the United Nations Charter and undermining the foundations of the postwar international order.

"The concept of a 'sphere of influence' is deeply rooted in colonial and Cold War thinking," Cui said. "The United States' insistence on viewing the LAC as its 'backyard' reflects not strength, but strategic contraction and relative power decline."

He added that applying an old-era framework to today's regional and international relations is bound to generate friction and resistance.

Rather than reinforcing US influence, such behavior is likely to galvanize the international community to more firmly uphold an international order centered on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, Cui said.

It also strengthens LAC countries' awareness of the need for greater strategic autonomy and diversified partnerships, he added.

Cui also noted that Washington's unilateral and interventionist approach — which in some cases has extended even to territorial claims involving allies, such as Greenland — has unsettled traditional partners.

China's vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity stands in sharp contrast to the so-called Donroe Doctrine, which prioritizes its own interests, he said, adding that Beijing advocates influence based on shared interests and mutual attraction, not on coercion or the drawing notional lines of control.

Cui emphasized that China's approach to cooperation prioritizes mutual benefit and win-win outcomes and the fundamental trend toward closer China–LAC engagement will not change. In recent years, he noted, China–LAC cooperation has shown important new trends — particularly in green energy and the digital economy — marking a shift from earlier cooperation models that focused primarily on large-scale infrastructure projects.

Looking ahead, Cui said China will continue to uphold the basic principles of international law and work with countries worldwide to jointly safeguard the fundamental rules of the postwar international order.