The Growing Presence of China in Latin America and the Caribbean in a Changing Global Environment

Abstract

Over the past twenty years, there has been a very significant increase in relations between the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean and the People’s Republic of China. This is evident in trade volumes, investments, financing, cooperation programs, and a variety of political agreements, with a trend that is expected to continue to rise in the years to come. The trends contributing to China’s growing presence in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) are related to China’s economic evolution and its projection as the rising power on the world stage. The existence of complementary productive structures, the policies of diversification of external relations by Latin American countries, and the emergence of new international partnerships in a constantly changing global geopolitical environment. Understanding, or attempting to understand, these trends is a fundamental task for scholars of international relations and for policymakers oriented towards development.