Arm wrestling between the United States and China in the Security Council over Haiti

The United States and China are fighting a pulse over the future of the United Nations mission in Haiti, which ends Friday, inside the world body’s Security Council.

Haiti depends on the United States on the council. The former US ambassador, Helen Lyme, is Al Jazeera’s envoy to the United Nations.

But the adoption of a decision on prolonging his political mission in the country in crisis planned on Thursday did not go as planned, due to complications in negotiations with China.

“If tomorrow the Chinese can close the UN office (on the island), they will,” said a diplomat, who asked not to be named. He added that Beijing is the second largest financial contributor to the United Nations and is behaving as the United States did under former President Donald Trump.

According to various sources consulted by AFP, one of the reasons China did not mention during discussions at the United Nations was Taiwan’s recognition of Haiti, which angered Beijing.

In June, China rejected a draft Security Council declaration on Haiti proposed by the United States that lamented the “deteriorating political, food and humanitarian situation” in the country.

In recent negotiations and without declaring “against” the UN mission, the Chinese have been very critical. A diplomatic source said that “the United Nations did nothing, and everything we invested was at a loss” in that country.

The Chinese mission to the United Nations did not wish to comment on the situation.

Beijing recently called for a renewal of the UN’s mandate for just six months, according to diplomats, to put pressure on Haiti, which was plunged into crisis after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in July.

Al Jazeera expects to hold elections, at best, for the second half of 2022.

prh / iba / dl / lm