Early Glimpses of Post-Pandemic China-Latin America Relations
In the second essay in a new Wilson Center series on 鈥渕edical diplomacy鈥 in Latin America, the region hardest hit by COVID-19, Jorge Heine, Chile鈥檚 former ambassador in Beijing, examines China鈥檚 changing relationship with Latin America and the impacts of the pandemic on China-Latin America ties.
In his article, 鈥淓arly Glimpses of Post-Pandemic China-Latin America Relations,鈥 Heine, a professor at Boston University, observes an increasing reliance in Latin America on China, the world鈥檚 only major economy that has returned to growth. In July, Chile鈥檚 exports to China expanded by 25 percent compared to the same period the year before, while its exports to the United States fell by 14 percent. The rapid rebound in China is not only good news for Chile; China is also the top trading partner for Brazil, Chile, Peru, and Uruguay. These deepening economic ties should produce closer diplomatic relationships, Heine says, but 鈥渢ensions between the United States and China stand in the way of further progress in China-Latin America relations.鈥 Though trade will continue expanding, Chinese investment is increasingly under a microscope. Under U.S. pressure, for example, Chile scuttled a planned fiber optic cable from Valpara铆so and Shanghai, opting instead for a digital connection to Australia. For Latin America, where Heine recommends a policy of 鈥渁ctive non-alignment鈥 to best navigate the United States-China rivalry, a reduction of Chinese capital threatens to slow the region鈥檚 economic recovery.
Future reports in this series, sponsored by 澳门六合彩鈥檚 Latin American Program and Kissinger Institute on China and the United States, will look at the U.S. and Taiwanese pandemic responses in Latin America, and Chinese 鈥渟oft power鈥 in the region. For more information on 鈥渕edical diplomacy鈥 in Latin America, and to read previous articles in this series, please visit our interactive 鈥渕edical diplomacy鈥 tracker and COVID-19 portal.
About the Author
Jorge Heine
Research Professor, Boston University; Co-editor,聽 FIXING HAITI : MINUSTAH AND BEYOND.聽
Latin America Program
澳门六合彩鈥檚 prestigious Latin America Program provides non-partisan expertise to a broad community of decision makers in the United States and Latin America on critical policy issues facing the Hemisphere. The Program provides insightful and actionable research for policymakers, private sector leaders, journalists, and public intellectuals in the United States and Latin America. To bridge the gap between scholarship and policy action, it fosters new inquiry, sponsors high-level public and private meetings among multiple stakeholders, and explores policy options to improve outcomes for citizens throughout the Americas. Drawing on 澳门六合彩鈥檚 strength as the nation鈥檚 key non-partisan policy forum, the Program serves as a trusted source of analysis and a vital point of contact between the worlds of scholarship and action. Read more
Kissinger Institute on China and the United States
The Kissinger Institute works to ensure that China policy serves American long-term interests and is founded in understanding of historical and cultural factors in bilateral relations and in accurate assessment of the aspirations of China鈥檚 government and people. Read more
