A United States diplomat has told Brazilian port industry executives that Washington does not want a Chinese company to win the concession for a major container terminal in Santos, the largest port in Latin America, in the latest sign that the race for one of Brazil’s most prized infrastructure assets has become a front in the broader rivalry between Washington and Beijing.
Kevin Murakami, the US consul-general in Sao Paulo, made the comments on March 5, at an event organised by Grupo A Tribuna, a media group based in the port city of Santos.
According to the Brazilian newspaper Folha de S.Paulo, three business executives who attended said Murakami told the audience the terminal had strategic importance for the United States, particularly in relation to organised crime. That part of his speech was expected.
The consul pressed on, however, touching on the auction itself in terms that reportedly caught his audience off guard. Murakami suggested the facility should not fall into “unwanted hands”, a remark those present interpreted as a warning against a Chinese victory.
No American company is among the expected bidders.
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