Over the last 10 years, China has flooded Latin America with money, with more than $117 billion in loans, making the region one of the world’s most indebted to the Chinese government. The conditions of these loans, which some politicians have described as predatory, worry economists. Latin America, along with [ … ]
China
China’s Illegal Activities Affect Latin American Economy, Ecosystems, Security
China’s expansive presence is causing a negative impact on different Latin American countries. Destruction of ecosystems, corruption, crime, and unfair competition are some of the shadows that China casts over the region. The ecological sector is among the most affected. Chinese fishing vessels are depleting marine resources and protected maritime [ … ]
There Goes the Neighborhood: US Hegemony in the Hemisphere in an Era of Great Power Competition
At the 2018 United Nations General Assembly, U.S. President Donald Trump boasted, “It has been the formal policy of our country since President [James] Monroe that we reject the interference of foreign nations in this hemisphere.” In 1823, Monroe was referring principally to Western European powers whose imperial designs knew [ … ]
Argentina: COVID-19 Tests Bought from China Present Problems
Argentina purchased 170,000 Chinese rapid test kits to monitor the spread of the novel coronavirus. A report by the COVID-19 Unit of the Argentine Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation concluded that the Chinese kits presented false readings, and only detect one of the two antibodies they were designed to [ … ]
Copper Thefts in Chile Linked to China
In mid-January 2020, Chilean security forces made the largest seizure of contraband copper, about 80 tons estimated at $305 million, found in a junkyard of the Lampa community, 22 miles northwest of Santiago de Chile. Chile’s Investigations Police (PDI, in Spanish) said in a press conference that the metal was [ … ]
The Sources of the People’s Republic of China’s Conduct in Latin America and the Caribbean
The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) worldview and quest for domestic and international hegemony threaten to reverse Latin American and Caribbean’s democratic and market-based economic principles that have facilitated regional stability for nearly 30 years. Beijing’s Latin America and Caribbean policy is based on China’s economic power, leading many observers to [ … ]
Fighting for Justice in Authoritarian Regimes
World Social Justice Day encourages people to recognize the importance of basic rights and human freedom. As the world celebrates Social Justice Day on February 20, here’s a look at some of the injustices that authoritarian regimes in China, Iran, and Venezuela inflict on their own people. China The Chinese [ … ]
China Does Not Want a Democratic-Dominated World Order
Latin American and Caribbean countries should force China to follow the rule of law to preserve the integrity of its institutions. Chinese involvement in Latin America is largely a result of China’s 21st century rise as a global economic and political power. China’s total trade with the region grew from [ … ]
Report Outlines Beijing’s Global Media Manipulation
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) spends billions of dollars a year on its foreign propaganda and censorship efforts, including presenting state-owned outlets as independent journalism, according to a new report. Beijing’s Global Megaphone, a new report from Freedom House published January 14, details how Beijing uses propaganda, censorship, and content [ … ]
Beijing’s Attack on Uighurs Isn’t Counterterrorism
The Chinese government insists its detention and re-education of Uighurs and other Muslim ethnic minorities are part of legitimate counterterrorism operations. Chinese authorities have interned more than 1 million Uighurs, ethnic Kazakhs, and other Muslims in camps where prisoners are forced to renounce their religious and ethnic identities and swear [ … ]
Chinese Censorship Is A Global Problem
The Chinese government continues to be the worst abuser of internet freedom, according to the 2019 Freedom on the Net report, released in November. Its oppressive censorship is increasingly affecting people outside of China. For the fourth year in a row, Freedom House, an independent watchdog organization dedicated to the [ … ]
Beijing Could Use 5G To Further Repress Citizens
As the world begins building 5G networks, U.S. officials are raising the alarm that the new technology will help authoritarian regimes further repress and control their own citizens. With 5G networks’ faster connections and greater bandwidth, “tens of billions of new devices will be connected to the internet in the [ … ]