The Strategic Dimension of Chinese Engagement
Presidency of Brazil / CC BY-SA 2.0
In the span of little more than a decade, China has become a major economic presence in Latin America. The commercial and political ties between Beijing and the region will undoubtedly continue to grow in the coming years as Chinese firms and diplomats form deeper relationships with their counterparts in the Western Hemisphere, with significant implications for Latin American countries as well as the United States.
On January 9, the Dialogue hosted a discussion with Evan Ellis, a scholar with the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies, on his new book, The Strategic Dimension of Chinese Engagement with Latin America. Riordan Roett, who directs the Latin American studies program at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) provided commentary on the book and Margaret Myers, director of the Dialogue's China and Latin America Program moderated the event.
Ellis downplayed the notion that Beijing poses a direct threat to U.S. or Latin American interests. However, he disputed the idea that Chinese influence in the region can be understood as “purely economic,” either, and noted that Beijing’s increasing involvement makes for a more complex geopolitical situation. His new volume outlines several strategic areas where this process is particularly important — including military relations, trans-Pacific crime, and large-scale investment in the telecoms, space and infrastructure sectors.
China’s presence appears to be driving changes in the regional security environment. Most concerning is that the uptick in commercial ties between countries on both sides of the Pacific has driven the growth of criminal networks in the region. Ellis noted that the expanding footprint of illicit organizations could be particularly problematic, as police forces in Latin America are ill-equipped to deal with the new actors. China’s military presence in Latin America remains relatively minor, but institutional relations here have also been maturing in recent years.
Beijing’s new footprint in the Western Hemisphere poses little immediate or direct threat to the United States. However, China’s growing clout in Latin America could weaken the United States’ position in the region on issues ranging from free trade to security cooperation.
Chinese investment and technical cooperation in strategic sectors has also risen significantly. Thanks to Chinese capital and the pull of the Chinese market, ports have grown rapidly along the Pacific coast. New plans to increase Atlantic access to the Pacific — such as a canal through Nicaragua or other overland routes — are proceeding apace. Other notable developments include new satellite projects with Bolivia and Brazil and the expansion of Chinese firms into the previously British-dominated Caribbean telecommunications market.
All panelists agreed Beijing’s new footprint in the Western Hemisphere poses little immediate or direct threat to the United States. Ellis argued, however, that China’s growing clout in Latin America weaken the United States’ position in the region on issues ranging from free trade to security cooperation. Roett added that China’s relationship with the United States in the Pacific is undergoing a fundamental shift as the Chinese military nears the development of a “blue water” naval fleet which will allow it to assert itself in new ways in the region. China is also becoming more sophisticated in how it views the rest of the world and also increasingly confident in its role as a major power. This evolution will continue to drive ongoing transformations in the dynamic relations between Beijing and Washington — both with and within Latin America.