The groundless accusations made by US Ambassador to Argentina Peter Lamelas against Chinese companies, including Huawei, and the Chinese government at a recent US commerce chamber's event "are baseless smears that deliberately overstretch the concept of national security in an attempt to create market panic," a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Argentina said on Friday.

During Energy Forum 2026 in Buenos Aires held by the American Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, Lamelas claimed that "China requires companies to give the Chinese state access to any data that passes through its technology and AI networks" and that "the involvement of Chinese companies in strategic sectors of the economy could hinder the arrival of new foreign investment."

The Chinese Embassy spokesperson said, "China reiterates that the Chinese government attaches great importance to, and protects in accordance with the law, data privacy and security. It has never required, and will never require, any company to violate local laws by providing data to the Chinese government, or by collecting or storing data on its behalf."

Local media reported that Lamelas' remarks were "the latest example of pressure from Washington on Buenos Aires to limit Beijing's role in strategic sectors of Argentina's economy."

The US ambassador recently sent a letter to a local electricity distributor questioning its plans to reach a technology agreement with Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei.

"In fact, Huawei is one of the companies with the best track records in cybersecurity and data security in the world. It was the first to publicly commit to a no-backdoor agreement and remains the only telecommunications company that accepts third-party testing and supervision," said the spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy.

What the US is doing is fundamentally driven by a Cold War mentality. The "small yard, high fence" approach runs counter to the trend of the times. Protectionism will not make the US stronger. Exclusive measures that disrupt market order also do not serve Argentina's need for an open economy, the spokesperson noted, adding that Argentina, in particular, does not need anyone lecturing it on how to better attract foreign investment. 

"We urge relevant US personnel to stop hyping the so-called 'China threat' and instead do more concrete things that truly contribute to regional stability and development," said the spokesperson.

Global Times