– Billions in investment –
Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Argentina in July and the two countries announced Chinese plans for investments totalling $7 billion, in industries including hydroelectric power, shipbuilding, railways and a deal to help Argentina build its fourth nuclear plant.
China will contribute $4.4 billion towards the construction of two hydroelectric dams in Argentina’s southern Santa Cruz province, and put $2.1 billion into rail transport.
Xi is trying to build closer ties with Latin America and recently hosted China-CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) in Beijing, eyeing a region that has traditionally been Washington’s backyard.
Twitter has been banned in mainland China since 2009, over fears it could be used to organise protests, with Chinese using home-grown microblogging platforms that strictly adhere to government censorship orders.
Facebook, YouTube and Google are also inaccessible from within China, which uses a system dubbed the Great Firewall to filter what content is allowed in.
Kirchner, 61, Argentina’s first elected female president, is a lawyer and former lawmaker who succeeded her husband, the late president Nestor Kirchner.
She met Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Thursday, with neither referring to the gaffe while reporters were present.
Kirchner walked without assistance, a boot on her fractured ankle, and thanked Li for his welcome, saying: “It’s a warmth I’ve felt since the moment I set foot here, from both the highest authorities but also the people of China.”
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