Expanding Bond between China and Cuba, along with Latin America, Intensifies
In the geopolitical landscape of Latin America and the Caribbean, China's influence is on the rise, with significant advances in economic, political, and strategic dimensions. This shift, occurring amid a U.S. strategic retrenchment, presents a notable geopolitical challenge for the region.
Economic and Political Influence
China has overtaken the U.S. as the leading trading partner for much of Latin America and the Caribbean, with 22 countries joining its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). This has facilitated deep investments in infrastructure, energy, and development projects, reshaping local economies. China also cultivates political influence through cultural ties, academic exchanges, and diplomatic recognition, particularly by isolating Taiwan through countries such as Panama, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Honduras switching allegiance to Beijing.
Military Presence and Strategic Interests
While China does not maintain formal military bases comparable to the U.S. in the region, its military engagement includes frequent delegations, notably more per capita in the Caribbean than elsewhere. Chinese investments such as deepwater ports and special economic zones, for example, in Antigua and Barbuda, raise U.S. concerns about dual-use infrastructure that could serve both commercial and military logistics purposes, potentially granting the People’s Liberation Army logistical footholds in the hemisphere.
Espionage and Security Concerns
Reports suggest China may embed long-term dependencies through economic leverage, potentially compromising digital and physical infrastructure. Chinese diaspora members with close ties to Beijing may facilitate business projects and even influence local politics and elite behavior, which can be viewed as subtle forms of influence or espionage. The surge in Chinese nationals detained at U.S. borders suggests heightened migration dynamics that could present security challenges.
Drug Activities
Concerns predominantly focus on economic, diplomatic, and strategic/military domains rather than narcotics-related issues. However, Chinese companies have been sanctioned or charged by the U.S. Treasury and Justice departments for knowingly selling fentanyl precursors to Mexican cartel operatives.
Recent Developments
In April 2023, the Biden administration declared fentanyl an emerging threat to U.S. national security. In the same month, the FBI arrested two Chinese citizens for operating an illegal police station in New York City's Chinatown, who allegedly harassed Chinese dissidents living in the U.S. In June 2023, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with President Xi Jinping in China. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is spending four days in China, beginning July 6, 2023, to try to stabilize U.S.-China economic ties.
Rumours of China planning to build a military training facility in Cuba and setting up an electronic eavesdropping station on the island nation have surfaced, reflecting efforts by China to grow its influence in the region. The U.S. and China have a major source of conflict over the supply of the drug fentanyl.
The China-Cuba connection is one example of how China has been expanding its influence on America's doorstep for decades through various activities, including espionage, military, law enforcement, and drug activities. The fentanyl global supply chain often ends on U.S. streets, but it begins in various pharmaceutical company labs in China.
This growing influence, while complex and multifaceted, underscores the need for continued vigilance and strategic diplomacy in the region. As the U.S. and China navigate their relationship, the focus remains on maintaining security, upholding democratic values, and fostering economic prosperity for all nations in Latin America and the Caribbean.
[1] https://www.brookings.edu/research/china-in-the-americas-a-new-era-of-engagement/ [2] https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/china-latin-america-and-caribbean [3] https://www.brookings.edu/research/china-in-the-caribbean-an-emerging-power/ [4] https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/united-states/2020-07-06/china-latin-america-doesnt-have-to-be-anti-us [5] https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/us-china-relations-latin-america-and-caribbean
- The growth of China's influence in Latin America and the Caribbean, as seen in the rise of war-and-conflicts issues such as fentanyl production and supply, highlights the need for comprehensive policy-and-legislation to address these challenges and secure the region's general-news landscape.
- In the realm of politics, China has been expanding its influence by cultivating political ties with various countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, as demonstrated by the switch of allegiance of Panama, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Honduras to Beijing, thereby impacting the regional dynamics and international relations.
