US-China rivalry hangs over Haiti a month after president's killing

Beijing looks to sway Taiwan-aligned country in Washington's backyard

U.S. lawmakers warn that the political turmoil in Haiti may open doors to "political interference by the People's Republic of China." © Reuters

TSUYOSHI NAGASAWA and HIDETAKE MIYAMOTO, Nikkei staff writers

August 7, 2021 05:37 JST

WASHINGTON/MEXICO CITY -- The assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise one month ago Saturday has potential repercussions as far away as China, which has played a diplomatic chess game with the U.S. over the impoverished Caribbean nation.

Beijing has dangled coronavirus vaccines and other aid as it seeks to persuade Haiti, one of the 15 countries that maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan, to cut those ties, critics say.