China–Latin America Relations: Long-term Boon or Short-term Boom?

‘The mixture of illusions, plans, hopes, and fears that arise out of [the China–Latin America] relationship are as powerful in their impact on [Latin America] as are the deals and events themselves…the greatest impact of China will come from what it leads the region to dream, and what Latin America finds when it awakens.’¹ This statement, part of a recent but growing wave of academic, media, government, and business interest in China’s burgeoning economic and political relations with regions of the developing world from Latin America to Africa to Southeast Asia, captures an important but often underappreciated idea.² Specifically, the perceptions and expectations of government and business leaders as well as everyday citizens of countries in Latin America will play a crucial role in determining the development of economic and political...