A More Moderate Milei Embraces Trading Partners He Had Shunned

  • He received congratulations from Xi, sent warm wishes to China
  • His adviser says ‘there can never be’ break with China, Brazil
Javier Milei waves to supporters after winning the presidential election runoff in Buenos Aires on November 19.Photographer: Luis Robayo/AFP/Getty Images
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President-elect Javier Milei is quickly toning down his aggressive rhetoric toward Argentina’s largest trading partners, raising the prospect that his administration may not be so disruptive for international affairs after all.

After calling the Chinese government an “assassin” during an August interview with Bloomberg News and saying he wouldn’t keep relations with Brazil or countries led by “communists” if elected, Milei sounded surprisingly cordial in comments made just a few days after his landslide Nov. 19 win.