CHINA AND LATIN AMERICA: Problems or Possibilities?

China and Latin America have grown closer in recent years, but their relationship is complicated by mismatched strategic goals.

When it comes to the evolving relationship between China and Latin America, speculation abounds. China is perceived as an alternative to U.S. hegemony in the region, a fierce economic competitor displacing Latin American industries, and a neo-imperial power whose industries are gobbling up Latin American commodities with little regard for environmental and labor protections. In fact, none of these statements are necessarily true. Contrary to the conventional wisdom, the data tell a different story.