China urges US to 'stop forcing' Latin America to 'choose sides'

China on Thursday urged the US to "stop forcing" Latin American countries to " choose sides."

"We urge the US to stop forcing them to choose sides, stop interfering in their domestic affairs and do more to contribute to their development and prosperity, instead of meddling and sowing discord," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said in a news conference, according to a transcript of the briefing by the ministry.

"No attempt to disrupt China's friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation with Latin America will ever succeed," Lin added.

Beijing's reaction came as prominent US media outlets, like the Economist, recently said in pieces that the US is pressuring Latin American countries to curb China's influence in the region.

"Coercion and pressuring as well as bullying only serve to push countries away and will increasingly not work," said Lin, adding that Latin America is "no one's backyard and has the right to independently choose development path and cooperation partners."