CHINA’S STRATEGY IN LATIN AMERICA: A U.S. PERSPECTIVE. (A REVIEW OF ELLIS, R. E. (2022) CHINA ENGAGES LATIN AMERICA: DISTORTING DEVELOPMENT AND DEMOCRACY?)

Abstract

The monograph “China Engages Latin America: Distorting Development and Democracy?” by R. Evan Ellis, published in 2022 by Palgrave Macmillan, explores the role of the People’s Republic of China in the political, economic, and social processes of Latin American countries. This work is of particular interest to political scientists specializing in both Chinese foreign policy and regional dynamics in the Western Hemisphere. The primary objective of the monograph is to analyze the PRC’s interactions with the countries of the region. By examining these interactions in various forms, the author largely characterizes China’s presence in Latin America as negative. The study’s key conclusion is that China’s economic expansion in the region is predominantly profit-driven, often at the expense of local economies and political institutions. Structurally, the monograph comprises an introduction, eight chapters, and a conclusion offering policy recommendations for the U.S. political establishment. It represents a significant contribution to the study of political processes in Latin America and the PRC’s regional strategy in the contemporary period.