Latin American countries have traditionally been considered a backyard of the United States. But, China is changing the geopolitics of the region.
China, which has emerged as the main global rival to the world’s “only superpower”, has made significant progress in this resource-rich and often volatile region in recent times.
China’s influence in Latin America
Since the turn of the century, China has been a major player in Latin America, raising concerns about Beijing’s influence while also offering economic opportunities.
China is now South America’s largest trading partner, surpassing the United States, and its state-owned companies are major investors in the energy, infrastructure and space sectors.
China has increased its military, diplomatic and cultural influence in the region. He recently used his influence to help during the pandemic, sending hundreds of millions of vaccine doses, loans and medical supplies to Latin American countries.
However, The United States and its allies are concerned that Beijing is exploiting these ties to advance its geopolitical goals.which include further isolating Taiwan and supporting authoritarian governments such as those of Cuba and Venezuela.
Although some observers argue that the United States could be doing more, US President Joe Biden has pledged to increase economic cooperation with Latin America.
Biden sees China as a “strategic competitor” in the region.
China first established connections with the region in the 16th century, when the Manila Galleon trade route made it easier for China and Mexico to exchange porcelain, silk, and spices.
In the 1840s, thousands of Chinese immigrants were being sent to Peru and Cuba as “coolies” or indentured slaves; They were frequently employed on sugar plantations or in silver mines.
China’s relations with the region were based primarily on migration over the course of the next century, as Beijing continued to be mired in internal turmoil.
China made 73 billion dollars in investments in raw materials in Latin America between 2000 and 2018including the construction of refineries and processing facilities in nations with substantial reserves of coal, copper, natural gas, oil and uranium.
In the last times, China has directed its investments into lithium production in the countries known collectively as the Lithium Triangle: Argentina, Bolivia and Chile.. These three countries together hold around 50% of the world’s known reserves of lithium, a crucial metal needed for battery manufacturing.
As members of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Peru and Uruguay each have some voting power
Besides, Beijing has provided funding for regional construction initiatives, with an emphasis on railways, ports and airports..
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