Remember “no blood for oil”? Decades ago, the slogan emblematized opposition to the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Its logic subsequently shifted as the United States experienced a gas and oil revolution thanks to fracking.
It has cycled back into relevance following the Trump administration’s invasion of Venezuela and the seizure of its oil, which, despite its carnivalesque tone, left at least 80 people dead. The Iran war has now ...
Category: China-Latin America
China’s Growing Influence Tops Trump Agenda Hosting Latin American Leaders
By Nandita Bose, Sarah Morland and David Brunnstrom President Donald Trump will host Latin American leaders in Florida on Saturday as his administration seeks to counter China's growing influence in the region, a diplomatic show just days after U.S. strikes on ...
U.S. Revokes Visas for Chilean Officials Over China Cable Project
The U.S. State Department announced travel restrictions on Chile’s Transport and Telecommunications Minister, Juan Carlos Muñoz, and two other officials in connection with a proposed undersea data cable project with China. In a short statement ascribed released on Friday, ...
China, Mexico Hold First Talks Since Mexico Imposed Steep Tariffs on Chinese Imports
China's chief trade negotiator Li Chenggang met Mexico's Deputy Economy Minister Vidal Llerenas in Beijing on Monday in the first face-to-face talks since Mexico imposed tariffs up to 35% on Chinese goods, China's Commerce Ministry announced Thursday. The two countries conducted exchanges on bilateral economic and trade relations. ...
Q&A: Can the U.S. Displace China From South America?
In a global scenario marked by strategic competition between the world's two largest powers, Latin America's role has ceased to be peripheral and has become a critical terrain of influence. As Washington watches with growing concern Beijing's advance on vital infrastructure—from ...
Q&A: The “Guanxi”: An Anthropological Look at the Chinese Businessman in Peru
The recent scandal dubbed “ Chifagate ” and the revelations about the so-called “ Dragon Club ” have once again put the relationship between Peruvian political power and Asian investments under scrutiny. However, beyond the anecdote of a dinner at a chifa or ...
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
Implications of Panama Court Ruling to Quash CK Hutchison Port Concessions
By Clare Jim, Kane Wu and Scott Murdoch Panama's Supreme Court annulled last week CK Hutchison's contract to operate two Panama Canal ports at the heart of a $23-billion deal to sell the Hong Kong conglomerate's global port assets.
China Voices Support for Cuba as Sanctions Tighten and Oil Supplies Grow Uncertain
China on Tuesday reaffirmed its political support for Cuba and criticized the United States for tightening sanctions on the island, as Havana faces renewed pressure on energy supplies and external assistance. In a statement posted on social media, China’s foreign ministry ...
How Is China Viewing U.S. Actions in Venezuela – an Affront, an Opportunity, or a Blueprint?
By Kerry E. Ratigan China’s public response to the U.S. capture of Nicolás Maduro played out in a fairly predictable way, with condemnation of a “brazen” act of force against a sovereign nation and accusation of Washington acting like a “world ...
China’s 2026 Challenge in Latin America and the Caribbean
2025 was a rather tumultuous year for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Donald Trump’s return to the White House exacerbated geopolitical dynamics in the region, particularly in the realm of the U.S.-China strategic competition. From tariffs to claims that China ...
China’s Rhetoric Is Clear on Venezuela. Latin America’s Response Is Not.
While the dust from the U.S. military operation in Caracas to oust Nicolás Maduro has yet to settle, early Chinese reactions already offer useful food for thought. The views expressed across Latin America, largely absent from both Chinese and Western commentary, also help contextualize how China’s relationship ...
Maduro’s Fall Tests China’s Influence in Washington’s Backyard
The United States government's rationale for last Friday's military incursion into Venezuela to detain President Nicolás Maduro has evolved over the months from combating narco-terrorism to asserting control over the country's vast oil reserves. But amid the varying justifications for the ...
The Curious Timing of Qiu Xiaoqi’s Visit to Caracas
One of the more curious aspects of the story of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's downfall involves China's Special Envoy to Latin America, Qiu Xiaoqi, who met with the deposed leader just hours before he was detained by U.S. Special Forces. Although few ...