The Chinese Foreign Ministry erupted in outrage Wednesday after the U.S. State Department boldly proclaimed the Western Hemisphere as “OUR hemisphere,” warning that interference from foreign adversaries like China will no longer be tolerated.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio made the declaration Sunday, just hours after U.S. forces captured Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro in a dramatic pre-dawn operation. Rubio emphasized that the United States would not sit idly by while foreign rivals operate in its backyard, asserting, “This is where we live — and we’re not going to allow the Western Hemisphere to be a base of operation for adversaries, competitors, and rivals of the United States.”
The State Department later amplified the message with a viral meme reading: “This is OUR Hemisphere.”
President Trump celebrated the moment as the return of the Monroe Doctrine — or what he now calls the “Donroe Doctrine” — signaling a new era of American dominance and rejection of foreign meddling in the Americas.
Beijing was quick to condemn the comments. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning blasted the U.S. position, declaring that “carving out a sphere of influence or creating geopolitical confrontation will not make a country safer.” She insisted that “common and cooperative security” was the path to peace, not unilateral declarations of dominance.
The statement comes as China watches its longtime investment in Venezuela’s corrupt regime crumble. China had poured billions into propping up Maduro and buying up Venezuelan oil, making the U.S.-led takedown a devastating blow to Beijing’s influence in Latin America.
While China accuses the U.S. of stoking division, critics point out Beijing’s hypocrisy — noting its aggressive posturing in Taiwan, economic bullying of Japan, and military intimidation of Filipino fishermen in the South China Sea.
Despite the backlash, the Trump administration shows no signs of retreating. Officials have made it clear that the Western Hemisphere is now a frontline in the battle against foreign influence — and that rivals like China should take notice.
