When Chile’s Former Ambassador to China Exposed Trump’s Pressure on Piñera to Halt Chinese Investments

Original article: Archivo: Cuando el exembajador de Chile en China reveló las presiones de Trump a Piñera para frenar inversiones chinas en el país

Amid controversy surrounding U.S. sanctions against three Chilean government officials regarding the «Chile China Express» submarine cable project, journalist Daniel Matamala recalled a discussion with former Chilean ambassador to China, Luis Schmidt. Schmidt revealed the pressures exerted by Trump to block Chinese investments in Chile.

Schmidt served as Chile’s ambassador to China from 2010 to 2014 and again from 2018 to 2022, covering the two presidential terms of the late businessman Sebastián Piñera. Notably, Piñera abandoned a 2021 proposal for a Valparaíso-Hong Kong submarine cable that was under negotiation with Chinese company Huawei.

In a video shared by Matamala, aired in May 2025, the former diplomat remarked, «If President Piñera had finalized that deal, we would already have the cable operational.»

Matamala then pointed out that the deal was never finalized due to «significant pressure from the United States.» Schmidt confirmed this, stating, «At that time, Pompeo (Mike Pompeo, Secretary of State under Trump) came to tell President Piñera, ‘Be cautious with Chinese investments.’ That’s why we didn’t proceed with it.»

Additionally, Schmidt recalled another incident involving passports: «When China won the bid for producing passports and identification cards, the United States threatened to end the Visa Waiver. Immediately, Chile, despite having held an international tender, withdrew and awarded the contract to a French company,» he noted.

Watch the video below (Twitter):

El Ciudadano