China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is where some of the key issues of our time intersect, including globalisation, sustainability, the modernisation of infrastructure, new technology and healthcare. But it also marks the convergence of some serious concerns, such as environmental protection, international debt, the Covid-19 pandemic and, increasingly, geopolitical tensions between the US and China.
Our new report shows that sentiment towards BRI in Latin America remains relatively positive, despite such headwinds. From the involvement of Chinese businesses in Panama Canal ports to Chinese investments in lithium mining and renewable energy, trans-Pacific connections between Latin American economies and China’s Asian powerhouse continue to grow.
China’s ambitions to advance Belt and Road cooperation highlight the potential for BRI to help nations in Latin America bridge the region’s massive infrastructure gap and recover from the terrible damage of the pandemic, as well as offering many new opportunities for regional businesses and investors.
