"China Engages Latin America: Distorting Development and Democracy?", by Evan Ellis - and my response, Paulo Roberto de Almeida

I have just received a gentle communication from an American partner: 

16 de mar. de 2022, à(s) 19:12, R. Evan Ellis, PhD from Evan Ellis on Latin America and the Caribbean <evanellis@substack.com> 

Publication of new Evan Ellis book: "China Engages Latin America: Distorting Development and Democracy?"

Dear Colleague: I am writing to let you know that my new full-length single-author book, China Engages Latin America: Distorting Development and Democracy, has just been published by Palgrave-Macmillan. The work provides an updated analysis of PRC activities in Latin America and its meaning for the US and the region, as I have seen the Chinese presence evolve in the almost twenty years I have followed and published on the topic. The work includes an analysis of the principally economic focus of China’s engagement with the region, to include its pursuit of secure access to Latin American commodities, foodstuffs and strategic markets, and its desire to capture for its own companies as much of the value added associated with those supply chains as possible. It also takes an in-depth look at China’s focus in dominating the infrastructure that underlines Latin American and Caribbean economies, including not only in land and maritime transportation, ports and other logistics sectors, but also electricity generation, transmission and distribution, telecommunications, eCommerce and non-traditional banking, smart cities and surveillance architectures, with the PRC leveraging those positions in the connective tissue that underlies the economic functionality of the region, to advance its strategic position and objectives there.  China Engages Latin America further examines the relationship between PRC activities in the region and populist governments, with multiple case studies highlighting how the PRC, in pursuing its own economic and other objectives, undermines democracy and institutions in the region, to its own strategic benefit. Additional chapters in the book also look at the PRC-Taiwan struggle for diplomatic recognition in the region and its strategic implications, PRC military and other security engagement in Latin America, and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the prospect of China’s advance and associated challenges. The book concludes with an extended set of recommendations for policymakers in the US and the region. China Engages Latin America is designed for use by undergraduate and graduate level classes whose content touches on PRC activities in Latin Americas, international relations and international political economy, and Latin America Studies. It is also designed for government policymakers, strategic analysts and business professionals whose responsibilities encompass China and Latin America. It is my hope that this book provides a balanced and compelling framework for understanding PRC engagement in the region that recognizes both the opportunities and threats to the region, and that recognizes the legitimacy of the search for economic opportunities by both China and the region in the context of transparency, rule of law, and a level playing field for the benefit of all. At the same time, this is a work that also candidly addresses the risks to development and democracy in the region of engaging with the PRC in ways that do not leverage the protection of strong institutions, transparent processes, and democratic legal frameworks. The work is available for order through the Palgrave-Macmillan site through the following downloadable flyer: Read now

What I have responded: 

Dear Ellis, 

        China is just following the path started by European colonialism and imperialism centuries ago, and followed by the US over the whole 20th century, imposing and disposing its hegemonic presence over the entire continent, support either democracies, or dictatorships, even helping some military coups when something was not going according to Washington.

China wants to become rich, as Europe and US did in their respective itineraries, and the best form to do that is to perform as the two previous hegemonic powers have done: investments, trade, finance, infrastructure, technical cooperation and so on. China is far behind to what was done by the two previous economic giants and arrogant superpowers, so Latin American countries will seek their own interests, despite all the talk about distorting democracy and development.

If these two criteria were in the forefront of European and American cooperation toward the region, LAC should already have attained a higher degree of economic and social development, and a democratic regime of superior quality. If not, both past and present hegemonic presence in the region was neither functional nor successful. Let’s try the Chinese experiment, which is basically based in trade, not development nor democracy, similar to those previous dominances. In due course, China will also cooperate in S&T and educational undertakings, equal as those conducted by Europe and US. 

There is no more chasse gardée for a single power...

Paulo Roberto de Almeida