By Zoila Palma: China’s economic and political footprint across Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) continued to sharpen in 2024, according to the Boston University Global Development Policy Center’s China–Latin America and the Caribbean Economic Bulletin, 2025 Edition.
The report shows that while newer sectors such as renewable energy and electric mobility gained momentum, traditional low-technology exports—including agriculture and raw minerals—remained the backbone of trans-Pacific commerce.
Researchers Rebecca Ray and Enrique Dussel Peters note that this imbalance has widened the region’s trade deficit with China and raised concerns about long-term sustainability.
According to the bulletin, LAC exports to China dipped to $190.9 billion, even as Chinese exports to the region surged to $286.7 billion, pushing the trade deficit to a record 1.4% of regional GDP.
Raw materials solidified their dominance among LAC’s top exports, with unrefined copper ores and concentrates expanding sharply, while processed refined copper lost ground.
Frozen beef also climbed in importance, overtaking refined copper as the region’s fifth-largest export commodity to China.
Meanwhile, Chinese contractors expanded their presence in LAC infrastructure by more than 50% over the last five years, particularly in transportation projects that have now overtaken energy as the top sector.
The report also highlights rapid growth in Chinese overseas foreign direct investment (OFDI) tied to the global energy transition.
In the automotive sector, most Chinese investments now support electric vehicle production or hybrid manufacturing rather than traditional combustion-engine models.
Additionally, China’s overseas development finance rebounded to $2.8 billion in 2024, its highest level in five years, though still well below the peak levels of the early 2010s.
Notably, since 2020, nearly all such finance in the region has flowed to national development banks—particularly in Brazil—rather than to individual projects.
A September 2025 article by The Guardian raises questions about the implications of China’s expanding footprint across developing regions including Latin America and the Caribbean.
The article argues that China’s expanding reach across Africa and the Caribbean is increasingly central to its pursuit of global superpower status.
At a high-profile summit, Beijing reportedly framed its ambition as resistance to western “bullying,” while its decades-long outreach has woven deep social, economic, and cultural ties across the Black diaspora.
The Guardian notes that China’s influence has become entrenched in everything from telecommunications and renewable energy to large-scale infrastructure—mirroring patterns seen in LAC.
Chinese-built roads, ports, residential complexes, and even cultural programming have become fixtures of daily life in many African and Caribbean communities.
The analysis by Boston University and similar findings emphasize the complex dynamic between China and Latin America and the Caribbean.
The country’s dominance raises questions about dependency, trade asymmetries, and geopolitical leverage.
Despite countries having close diplomatic relations with Taiwan, China has attempted to persuade countries in the Americas region to switch ties offering economic incentives.
The post International News: New report by Boston University’s Global Development Policy Center shows China deepening ties in Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) amid global ambitions appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Zoila Palma: China’s economic and political footprint across Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) continued to sharpen in 2024, according to the Boston University Global Development Policy Center’s China–Latin America and the Caribbean Economic Bulletin, 2025 Edition. The report shows that while newer sectors such as renewable energy and electric mobility gained momentum, traditional
The post International News: New report by Boston University’s Global Development Policy Center shows China deepening ties in Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) amid global ambitions appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
