China diplomacy and trade in Latin America

Abstract

This paper focuses on the analysis of China-Latin America relations during the first decade of the twenty-first century. In particular, it reflects on the Chinese strategic performance and Latin American countries’ reactions in the economic and diplomatic realms, especially Brazil’s. The paper develops the hypothesis that short-term benefits offered by China are very important but unequally distributed among countries in Latin America, while the medium-term impact on Latin American development is still uncertain and presents a substantial risk of deindustrialization for some countries. Finally, it is considered that the Sino-Brazilian partnership is shaped in the form of interdependence, with positive gains for both parties, but with asymmetries unfavorable to Brazil.