Beirut: On Tuesday, China criticized a reported US plan to allocate hundreds of millions of dollars to counter Beijing's expanding influence in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. The Chinese government emphasized that international cooperation should not target any third party.

According to Anadolu Agency, the reports suggest that the US State Department is preparing a significant initiative to curb China's influence in these regions. In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian expressed Beijing's opposition to "forming exclusive groupings" and emphasized that its collaborations are focused on fostering shared development rather than engaging in geopolitical competition.

Lin stated, "China's cooperation with relevant countries and regions, especially with fellow developing countries, is not about wooing anyone or rivaling anyone, but for global peace, prosperity, international order and a community with a shared future for humanity," during a regular Foreign Ministry news conference.

The spokesperson also defended China's involvement in constructing international submarine fiber-optic cable networks amid reported US concerns about Beijing's participation in undersea cable projects across the Americas and the Pacific. Lin described these international submarine cables as essential civilian infrastructure that supports global internet connectivity and benefits people worldwide.

"Politicizing this issue and turning it into a security one will only disrupt normal international market rules, threaten global digital connectivity and cybersecurity, and serve no one's interest," Lin remarked. He further stated that China backs international cooperation on submarine cable projects based on "fairness, justice, equality, and inclusiveness."

Lin concluded by affirming that Beijing is prepared to collaborate with other countries to advance the construction and safeguarding of submarine cables and other global information infrastructure.