#75 – Far Regions, Close Ties: Are We Underestimating China’s Impact on Latin America?

 

SPEAKER

GUO Jie 郭洁, Associate Professor, School of International Studies, Peking University

 

ABSTRACT

 

China – Latin American relations have expanded to an unprecedented extent since the beginning of the new millenium. Many countries in the region now enjoy increasing amounts of trade with China. For some, China is a major source of foreign direct investment as well. November’s BRICS Summit in Brasilia, at which Brazil and China strengthened their “comprehensive strategic partnership”, was a stark reminder of how China – Latin America relations are advancing further into new territory. From a time when China and its expanding industries looked to Latin America predominantly for its raw materials, today these countries are forging ahead, not only to deepen trade, but also to promote all-around cooperation.

 

Yet relations between the two behemoths – China and Brazil – are not without their challenges. Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro declared last year during his presidential campaign “the Chinese are not buying in Brazil. They are buying Brazil”. Bolsonaro’s recent visit to Beijing, though, marks a turn around in his once hardened rhetoric against China; no doubts as the reality of China’s importance to the future of Brazil and its economy sets in. Economic pragmatism is and will still be the main driving force for advancing bilateral ties, while in the meantime potential differences in political ideology and foreign policies may also bring inevitable risks to the relationship.

 

In this context, China has the potential to shape the future of Latin America’s development. How are Latin American nations responding to China’s deepening engagement with the region? Join our event#75 for a conversation with professor Guo Jie from Peking University, for addressing this and many other questions regarding the past decade of China – Latin American relations and which challenges lie ahead.

 

VENUE

 

For this event we will be hosted by Tsinghua SEM X-Elerator 清华经管学院-创业者加速器, at the entrance of Innoway Zhongguancun.

 

Address:

Innoway Zhongguancun, Haohai Building 3rd floor, Haidian East Street 36, Haidian, Beijing

北京市海淀区海淀西大街36号中关村创业大街昊海楼写字楼3层

Link on Baidu Maps

 

*On the northern entrance of the Haohai building there’s the lift that will take you to the third floor, directly at the X-Elerator.

 

 

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Our events are as usual for free, we kindly ask you to register in advance in order to help us in the organization of the venue, thanks! Registration will start at 6pm and close at 6.45, seats are distributed on a first come, first served basis. Arriving late won’t guarantee you a seat.