Understanding China-LAC Economic Relations:a Critical Assessment Of Dependency

Over the last two decades, diplomatic relations between China, Latin America and the small island states of the wider Caribbean have seen tremendous growth. The nature of these relations themselves has evolved from the politics surrounding perceived areas of diplomatic competition with Taiwan to that of intense trade and investment relations; dominated by China’s interests in the region as a reliable source of raw materials and an available market for the export of its manufactured goods.Thusly, China’s emergence into the region and the continued strengthening of ties with LAC is the challenge of regional scholars, who seek to navigate not only the vulnerabilities of a partnership pinioned to high commodity exports; but also the eventualities of China’s impact on the region when this type of relationship is no longer sustainable.In this case, it is imperative that we have an understanding of intensifying China-LAC ties, past the economic symbiosis of their relationship and towards the prospect of long-term, stable relations outside the realms of trade and foreign direct investments.