The European Commission (EC) has opened an investigation to determine whether the state subsidies the Chinese train manufacturing company China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC) received, have allowed it to compete with an undue advantage in a public tender for electric trains and maintenance services. “A company should win, offer [ … ]
China
Latin America in the Crosshairs of China-backed Cyber Pirates
Cybersecurity has become essential throughout the world, and Latin America is no exception to this reality. According to the IBM X-Force Threat Intelligence Index 2024 report, the region was the fourth most attacked in 2023, accounting for 12 percent of incidents worldwide. State-sponsored cyberattacks are a leading cause of concern [ … ]
Ecuador-China FTA Raises Environmental Concerns
On February 15, Ecuador ratified a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with China, becoming the fourth Latin American country to establish a trade agreement with the Asian country. The agreement, however, raises concerns about the potential environmental and social impacts, as critics fear that the FTA will facilitate the entry of [ … ]
China’s Charm Offensive in Latin America and the Caribbean: A comprehensive Analysis of China’s strategic Communication Strategy Across the Region [Part III: Image, Academia, and Technology]
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This paper explores China’s public relations strategy in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) through diplomacy, promoting study networks, cooperation among academies, and establishing a significant number of Confucius Institutes. This is supported by a vast network of print, audiovisual and digital media owned by China or LAC [ … ]
Argentina Launches Operation Against Chinese IUU Fishing
The Argentine Armed Forces have launched Operation Griffon XVII in South Atlantic waters to strengthen their fight against illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, while hundreds of fishing vessels, mainly Chinese-flagged, prey on the region’s fish stocks, Argentine news site Infobae reported. “Considering Chinese expansionist activities in the world, it [ … ]
China Shifts Latin America and Caribbean Strategy
China’s investments in Latin America and the Caribbean have shifted to what Beijing dubbed “new infrastructure,” which includes critical sectors such as telecommunications, financial technology, and energy transition, U.S. think tank The Inter-American Dialogue indicated in a new report. According to the report, China’s direct foreign investments in the region [ … ]
Chinese Criminal Networks and Their Reach in Latin America
Despite high rates of violence and corruption in Latin America and the Caribbean driven by criminal organizations from the hemisphere, a study by researchers at Florida International University (FIU) highlights the growing impact of Chinese criminal networks in the region and exposes their link to Chinese-state owned companies.PAONat “They operate [ … ]
Chinese Fishing Fleet under the Limelight in Latin American Waters
The massive presence of the Chinese fishing fleet in the waters of Latin America has contributed to making China one of the world’s leading seafood exporters, but also the worst when it comes to illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The situation took a turn in late 2023 as Chinese [ … ]
Warning Risks of Chinese Technology in Colombia
A recent report on the presence of technology companies from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in Colombia has set off alarms about the risks involved with the Asian country’s investments in the sector. According to the Colombian political risk consultancy Colombia Risk Analysis, behind these investments are strategic interests [ … ]
China Human Rights Record Comes Under UN Scrutiny
China’s human rights record was the focus of intense scrutiny January 23 by the United Nations (U.N.) Human Rights Council, where Beijing faced criticism from Western democratic societies over its treatment of Uyghurs, Tibetans, and dissidents in Hong Kong. The meeting marked the fourth time that China’s rights record has [ … ]
Death Looms over Chinese Fishing Fleets
Chinese fishing fleets are notoriously unforgiving workplaces, where appalling sanitary conditions, poor food, and the absence of medical care cause workers to suffer illnesses and in some cases die, an investigation by The Outlaw Ocean Project (OOP), a journalistic organization dedicated to investigating conflicts over human rights, labor, and environmental [ … ]
Meta Deletes Facebook Accounts in China
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, is warning about the growing threat of disinformation and interference in 2024 ahead of key elections such as the presidential elections in the United States. The attacks, with the support of artificial intelligence, are expected to continue to come from China, Iran, and Russia. [ … ]