The Expanding Chinese Footprint in Latin America: New Challenges for China, and Dilemmas for the US
The physical presence of China in Latin America is entering a phase of significant expansion, as the logical consequence of the rapid growth over the past decade of its trade, investment, and infrastructure for doing business in the region.
The new Chinese physical presence in Latin America is focused in five areas, each with its own dynamics and consequences:
- (1) leaders visits, business delegations, students and other official groups,
- (2) construction and infrastructure projects,
- (3) extractive industry investments and associated service companies,
- (4) retail and manufacturing, and
- (5) tourism.
The growing Chinese physical presence will generate challenges which will make it increasingly difficult for the PRC to maintain, in fact, its policy of non-interference in the internal politics of the region.
The PRC is likely to employ its growing understanding of, and sources of leverage in Latin America to protect its increasingly important interests in the region, while simultaneously attempting to avoid that its actions to defend its interests are seen in threatening terms by the United States or other strategically important partners.
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The Expanding Chinese Footprint in Latin America: New Challenges for China, and Dilemmas for the US
Center for Asian Studies
Asia is a nerve center for multiple global economic, political and security challenges. The Center for Asian Studies provides documented expertise and a platform for discussion on Asian issues to accompany decision makers and explain and contextualize developments in the region for the sake of a larger public dialogue.
The Center's research is organized along two major axes: relations between Asia's major powers and the rest of the world; and internal economic and social dynamics of Asian countries. The Center's research focuses primarily on China, Japan, India, Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific, but also covers Southeast Asia, the Korean peninsula and the Pacific Islands.
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