THE U.S. Government stepped up an offensive Tuesday to keep China’s Huawei Technologies Co. out of Brazil’s 5G market, with Washington offering to finance purchases by Brazilian telecom companies of equipment from its competitors.

During a visit to Brasilia, officials of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), the U.S. EXIM bank and the National Security Council told reporters that funding was available to buy equipment from other firms.

The U.S. delegation was headed by National Security adviser Robert O’Brien, who met with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro before they attended the signing of an EXIM bank financing agreement that identifies areas of business cooperation that includes 5G telecoms.

In Washington, top U.S. officials urged Brazil to carefully monitor Chinese investments in Brazil and moves by Beijing to expand its influence in Latin America’s largest economy through sales of 5G technology by Huawei.

China’s Embassy in Brazil on Twitter accused the United States of seeking a networking monopoly, but said it believed most countries would remain independent and make their own decisions regarding 5G.

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said trade agreements reached with Brazil on Monday would pave the way for further negotiations on steel, ethanol and sugar, and promote greater U.S. investment as Washington moves to provide a counter-weight to China’s expansion in the region.

“I would say clearly there is a China element ... in everything that all of us do,” Lighthizer told an event hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “China has made a very significant move in Brazil. They’re Brazil’s biggest trading partner, so it’s something that we’re concerned about.”

Lighthizer’s remarks were part of a full-court press. White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said Washington had urged Bolsonaro and other Brazilian officials to keep a close watch on China’s investments and advanced technologies.

“We have encouraged Brazil .. to try to work together to make sure that we watch China carefully with respect to all manner of technology and telephoning and 5G,” he told the event.

“We have taken actions here in the States. We continue to move, and it is my great hope that Brazil will move with us,” he added. “We hope that Brazil will also keep a careful, critical eye on Chinese investment.”

The United States has sought to persuade countries across the world, particularly close allies, to block Huawei from next-generation 5G networks. The technology promises super-fast data speeds and high bandwidth that can underpin critical infrastructure.

Countries such as Australia and Japan have essentially blocked Huawei from their 5G infrastructure. Earlier this year, the U.K. said Huawei would be banned from its 5G networks and ordered mobile carriers to strip out any existing gear from the Shenzhen-based firm by 2027. On Tuesday, Sweden became the latest country to exclude Huawei from 5G.

Brazil plans to auction 5G frequencies next year to telecom companies operating in Brazil, many of which already buy from Huawei and would like to continue doing so for their 5G networks because the Chinese equipment is cheaper.

EXIM officials said the U.S. bank has 20 percent of its US$135 billion portfolio available for commercial deals with companies that want to partner with the United States as part of the Trump administration’s China and Transformational Exports program, which is aimed at neutralizing Chinese competition.

(SD-Agencies)