China is expanding its ability to extract resources and create ports in Latin America, General Laura Richardson, head of the US Southern Command, said in the US Congress, Infobae news agency reported.

China is expanding its influence in Latin America and the Caribbean through "manipulation" of regional governments and "predatory investment practices," she said.

Richardson said the PRC government "continues to expand its economic, diplomatic, technological, information and military influence in Latin America and the Caribbean."

In particular, she stated that China "has expanded its ability to extract resources, establish ports, manipulate governments through predatory investment practices, and build potential dual-use space objects."

China wins all tenders for major critical infrastructure projects in the absence of Western and other international bidders, Richardson said, because countries have no choice.

Richardson pointed out that the "lithium triangle" accumulates 60% of the world's lithium.

“Argentina, Bolivia and Chile have it, and [our adversaries] are taking resources from these countries and their peoples that are trying to produce, from these democracies that are trying to help their peoples,” she said.

When you talk to the US ambassadors in Chile and Argentina and the companies that are there, they complain about China's aggressiveness and playing with lithium.