China-United States competition in Latin America: evolution, perspectives, and implications in the COVID-19 context

Florencia Rubiolo,Diego Telias

doi:10.5752/p.2317-773x.2021v9n4p43-62

Abstract

In the last decade, China has established itself as a key player in the international system and its influence irradiates to all corners of the world. Latin America is no exception to this phenomenon. Chinese economic involvement in the region had political impacts that have led to inevitable competition with the United States. It is in this context of competition that the COVID-19 pandemic emerges bringing profound consequences for Latin American countries.  The aim of this article is to analyze the relations between Latin America and China in the context of competition with the United States and the COVID-19 pandemic. The article addresses how competition has evolved, particularly in the health area after the COVID-19 outbreak. To this end, the main actions of China in the region are discussed from a theoretical perspective of political economy and drawing on concepts as mask diplomacy and wolf warrior’s diplomacy.

Highlights

The world has profoundly changed since 1978, when Deng Xiaoping took the first steps that led to China’s integration into the world economy some decades later
Almost every Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) economy has seen an unprecedented growth in its export numbers, related to China’s enormous demand
As a guiding question we propose to outline how the competition between the two powers evolved with a particular focus in the health area, before and after the outbreak of the pandemic

Summary

Introduction

The world has profoundly changed since 1978, when Deng Xiaoping took the first steps that led to China’s integration into the world economy some decades later. External trade characteristics – as a primary commodity exporting countries-, intraregional interdependence, the emergence of Brazil as a global player and a regional power (BERNAL MEZA, 2008), the role of the United States since 2001, and the initiatives for political integration (CABALLERO SANTOS, 2012) have defined a clearer boundary for the South American region, differentiating it from the rest of Latin America. In this sense, South America relations with China show distinctive characteristics, in contrast with México, Central America and the Caribbean. The governments of Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Saint Christopher and Nevis, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines expressed support for the Taiwan invitation to the assembly

Chinese diplomatic assertiveness and the race for the narrative

Findings

Final remarks