The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is China’s infrastructure and financing initiative, developing global land and sea trade routes around the world. Many Latin American nations have signed agreements to benefit from it, as the level of trade between Latin America and China continues to increase. Nations which are not formally participants in BRI – including Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Mexico – have also been the beneficiaries of significant Chinese investment.
Last year saw deals including the relaunched construction of two dams in Patagonia; the announcement of a new Chinese solar power farm in Araçatuba; China State Power Investment Corp’s acquisition of Mexico’s largest independent renewable power company; and the start of work on the construction of the Bogotá metro. These would all be seen as BRI activity if they were happening elsewhere. Huawei is working on 5G networks across the region, regardless of whether nations have signed BRI agreements, and State Grid Corporation of China agreed to buy Chilean electricity distributor CGE for USD 3bn, just a few months after its USD 2bn acquisition of Chilquinta. The line between BRI and non-BRI is a very flexible one, in Latin America as elsewhere.
- How do attitudes towards BRI in Latin America compare with those from elsewhere in the world?
- What is Chinese sentiment?
- What opportunities does BRI present to different sectors in Latin America?
- What are considered the biggest risks and how can these be mitigated?
- What impact has Covid-19 had on BRI priorities in Latin America?
The new CMS report, Belt and Road: the view from Latin America, answers these questions, and many more. Built on the feedback from over 500 people around the world who are actively involved in BRI projects, our experts have analysed what BRI will mean for the region and highlight legal considerations.
Please join us as we introduce this new report and its key findings, and we would welcome an opportunity to discuss it with you.
