Files
Abstract
This paper explores the evolution of the People’s Republic of China’s strategic aims in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Through a detailed analysis of Mandarin and English-language sources, including People’s Liberation Army (PLA) publications, Chinese white papers, and official statements, the paper finds that China initially viewed LAC strictly through the lens of trade and investment, “win-win cooperation,” and South-South solidarity.
However, over time, Chinese writings increasingly describe LAC as a potential network of “strategic support points” (战略支点) that could enhance the PLA’s global mobility and sustainment. Mexico, Argentina, and Chile play key roles in China’s Sitian (司天) global space domain awareness program. Moreover, China enlists regional governments to adhere to Beijing’s international cybersecurity norms, even as several LAC countries have been victims of China-based cyber intrusions.
These moves fit within China’s broader initiatives—such as the Belt and Road Initiative and the Global Security, Global Development, and Global Civilization Initiatives—to project influence and shape global norms. While China currently lacks military bases in the hemisphere, its layered strategy integrates commercial, diplomatic, and soft-power tools to potentially normalize a security presence in the future.
The paper concludes that LAC is no longer considered a peripheral region in Chinese strategic thought but an emerging flank of China’s “Far Seas Protection” strategy—in which infrastructure, political alignment, and crisis-response capabilities lay the groundwork for future national security contingencies.