https://youtu.be/7MZgoS16PXM
“Concerns about China have become a dominant factor in how the United States thinks about Latin America,” said Dr. Benjamin Gedan—director of the Latin America Program at the Wilson Center and an adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University—during the conference “The China-U.S. Relationship and the Consequences for Latin America.”
The event, organized by CESCOS and the Department of International Studies at Universidad ORT Uruguay, took place on Tuesday, September 13, in a hybrid format (some participants attended in person, while others joined via HyFlex®).
During the conference, Gedan discussed how the relationship between the United States and China is affecting and will continue to affect the region in the short and medium term.
The United States and Latin America
“U.S. policy in Latin America is currently shaped by concerns regarding competition between China and the United States, ”the expert noted. While this competition is significant, he stressed that its importance should not be overstated.
“On the one hand, it is true that China plays a key role in U.S.-Latin American relations. On the other hand, I want to challenge this argument. I believe we should not focus solely on this aspect of U.S. foreign policy,” said Gedan.
“This country’s relations with Cuba, the Caribbean, Venezuela, and Nicaragua are significant. Furthermore, Mexico is always the United States’ most important partner in Latin America. This has nothing to do with China, but it is closely related to geography, economic integration, migration and security considerations, and history. I believe it is essential never to downplay these aspects, so that we can understand what the United States is thinking when it looks south of its own borders.”
The expert noted that, in order to truly understand the U.S. approach, it is necessary to understand, among other things, its electoral system and the influence of immigrant communities.
“That’s when one begins to wonder how senior officials engage with Latin America and realizes that China isn’t the only issue at stake. There are a number of commitments that go beyond this relationship, and these issues are becoming even more relevant as we approach the upcoming midterm elections.”
According to Gedan, while there are several issues regarding Latin America that require the United States’ attention—and to which some importance has been attached—President Biden, like his predecessors,“has devoted relatively little attention to Latin America.”
This situation has been the case for many years, but it became more pronounced in February 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “Right now, the war is consuming an immense amount of energy in terms of U.S. foreign policy. It is unclear how much attention is available for Latin American policy.”
The United States and China
China is the primary force that captures the United States’ attention, shapes its priorities, and influences the way the United States operates in the Western world.
“What, specifically, are the concerns when the United States thinks about China and Latin America?” Gedan asked. To answer this question, he divided the issues into six categories:
1) Investment. Through investment, China is gaining significant influence.
2) Trade. Countries like Uruguay depend on Chinese imports.
3) Military cooperation. Today, there is a greater presence of Chinese ships in Latin American ports.
4) Taiwan, whose formal diplomatic partners are in Latin America.
5) The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and other new sources of capital.
6) Huawei 5G. Telecommunications led by China, in particular, represent one of the areas of greatest concern for the United States.
“The United States’ concern about China’s presence in Latin America is nothing new; it has existed for years.”
Finally, the expert concluded: “The United States views China as an economic competitor in Latin America and as a potential threat to its security, as well as an adversary that is gaining increasing influence.”