The rivalry between the United States and China has opened a new front in the Dominican Republic, after the two countries' embassies in Santo Domingo traded public accusations this weekend over the security of Chinese technology used in the region. The dispute featured US claims of espionage risk on one side and Chinese accusations of "technological intimidation" and "coercion" on the other.
The row began after the United States Embassy in Santo Domingo shared on its X account a warning from Washington about companies including Huawei, ZTE, Hikvision, Hytera, Dahua and DJI.
The US message argued that technology from those firms poses a risk because it is ultimately subject to the interests of the Chinese government, and that Chinese law requires the companies to cooperate with intelligence services in Beijing. Washington said this creates risks of espionage, cyberattacks and network disruptions, and urged its partners across the Americas to quickly replace the equipment with trusted suppliers to protect their citizens and sovereignty.
The US statement did not identify any Dominican institutions using the technology, nor did it point to specific incidents that had occurred in the country.
China's Response
China's response came on Sunday and significantly raised the tone of the exchange. Chen Luning, China's ambassador to the Dominican Republic, rejected the US accusations, voicing his government's "strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition" and describing the claims as "pure fabrication" and a distortion of reality.
The ambassador attributed the US warnings to a "Cold War mentality" and said they reflected "American arrogance and prejudice."
Chen defended the companies named by Washington, saying Chinese technology firms operating in Latin America and the Caribbean, including the Dominican Republic, comply with the laws and regulations of the countries where they do business. He said the firms offer advanced technology, competitive prices and safe, efficient services, while also contributing to economic development and job creation.
China's diplomatic mission went further, describing the US warning as an act of "technological intimidation and unilateral coercion." China called on Washington to abandon what it termed political manipulation and irresponsible statements, and to stop interfering in "the right of sovereign states to freely choose their cooperation partners."
Dominican Republic Caught in the Middle
The exchange places the Dominican Republic in the middle of a strategic rivalry that has for years pitted Washington against Beijing over control and security of telecommunications networks, digital infrastructure, surveillance systems and other sensitive technology.
What is different this time is that the warnings and the response were both issued directly in Santo Domingo by the two powers' diplomatic missions.
The United States frames the issue as a matter of national security and data protection. China presents it as a US attempt to shut its companies out of the market through political arguments and pressure on third countries.
For now, the Dominican government has not publicly stated a position on the exchange between its two major partners.
