The Chinese presence in Latin America

needed partners amid competition for world power

Abstract

This article seeks to analyze the expansion of China´s influence in Latin America in economic and military fields, and how the United States has reacted to it. For it will be used the methodology of the case study -Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador-, since it is where China has a strong presence and especially because they are countries, like the Asian power, have an anti-American or sovereignist politics which seeks to consolidate a multipolar world order. The main finding is that China does not pose a serious threat to the United States in the short term, and in fact expanding its influence in the region has been perceived by the United State government as an opportunity. This is due to several reasons: China has implemented a cautious and pragmatic policy that seeks to consolidate its national goals without directly challenging American hegemony in the region, reinforced by internal constraints that lead the Chinese leadership to opt for a less activist attitude in the military-political reorganization of the world. On the other hand, due to the United States, which is in a phase of decline of its hegemony in the region, prefer to promote their interests in a cooperative and non-confrontational framework, hoping to take advantage of this new situation.