Over the last twenty years, China has established strong security and commercial relations with multiple countries in Latin America, specifically Brazil and Venezuela. Nevertheless, the US is concerned about the Chinese government’s expanding influence on the Southern part of the Americas. Recently China’s role in Latin and South America has grown exponentially fast. In 2000 less than 2% of the region’s exports accounted for the Chinese market. Now, China has surpassed the United States as South America’s largest trading partner. Trade isn’t the only thing strengthening China and South American relations, but diplomacy, military presence, and large investments in the region’s energy, space industries, and infrastructure. In 2019, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, China grew its support even larger by supplying the region with vaccines, loans, and medical equipment. This built China’s political goodwill with local governments in South America. China’s desire to invest in the region comes from “South-South cooperation”, a framework focused on aid, investment, and trade. So the question is, has China presented itself as an alternative partner to countries in South and Central America compared to the United States? And how will the United States compete with China and its influence in the Southern Hemisphere?
In my opinion, China has some ulterior motive for their new found relationships, pursuing their geopolitical goals, specifically furthering the isolation of Taiwan. With China’s leaders refusing diplomatic relations with countries that recognize Taiwan’s sovereignty, many countries in Latin and South America are moving away from the idea of Taiwan’s independence. Over the past five years alone, five Central American and Caribbean countries have favored China over Taiwan. Panama in 2017, the Dominican Republic and El Salvador in 2018, Nicaragua in 2021, and Honduras just this past March. As of 2023, only seven countries in the region still recognize it. I believe another reason China has invested in Latin America ties is to bolster authoritarian governments, including those in Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. China’s authoritarian model presents challenges for the United States because it is no secret the United States hasn’t had the best relations with countries that are anti-democratic.
This article and its content directly correlate to what we have been learning and discussing in class. The article mentions how China created its influence in South America through military and economic IGOs. When examining economic factors in international relations we learned how they influence political decisions, same with security and military support. Another connection from class to the article is why the United States’ concern with China’s authoritarian government and its spreading of influence connects back to the King of the Hill theory. The King of the Hill theory is when you’re on the top of the “hill”, naturally, you want to stay on top. This serves as an analogy for the United States because since the 1990s there have been no real contenders for America’s top spot as a global superpower, until now, China is climbing the hill, and the American government will do everything to hold its place.