https://www.scmp.com/rss/523647/feed News, features and updates on Beijing's relations with various Latin American nations, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela and more. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Bloomberg Bloomberg Spain and Brazil signed a flurry of agreements at Pedro Sanchez and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s first bilateral summit, as the Spanish leader seeks to build an alliance to counter US President Donald Trump. “The relationship between Spain and Brazil goes far beyond the strictly bilateral,” Sanchez told reporters after signing 15 deals covering areas including critical minerals, telecommunications and artificial intelligence. “Peace and the values that sustain it are being attacked by a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350545/spain-signs-deals-brazil-sanchez-builds-anti-trump-bloc?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350545/spain-signs-deals-brazil-sanchez-builds-anti-trump-bloc?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 21:05:18 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick A senior US lawmaker called on Peru’s next government to reclaim the Chinese-controlled port of Chancay, describing the deepwater facility as a direct military threat to the western hemisphere. Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar, chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, said during a hearing on Thursday that Washington would help Peru wrest the megaport from Chinese hands. “The new Peruvian government, which will be elected next June, must take it back, that... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3350379/us-will-help-peru-take-back-chancay-port-china-congress-chair-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3350379/us-will-help-peru-take-back-chancay-port-china-congress-chair-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 21:59:21 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Brazil will require foreign partners to process rare earth minerals domestically as a condition for access to its reserves, a senior government official said this week, setting terms that could reshape how Chinese and Western firms compete for resources the country has long exported raw. “Our doors of Brazil to foreign investment are open, but our position has matured,” Leonardo Durans, a senior official at Brazil’s industry ministry, said at a press conference with international media on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3350094/brazil-demands-rare-earths-be-processed-home-us-and-china-compete?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3350094/brazil-demands-rare-earths-be-processed-home-us-and-china-compete?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 17:37:42 +0000 Zhu Wenqian,Daniel Ren Zhu Wenqian,Daniel Ren Chinese companies – from sectors as diverse as bubble tea, budget retail and cars – are expanding their presence in Brazil, with analysts saying the robust trade ties between China and Latin America’s biggest economy could help pave the way for further investment. Mixue Group, known for its affordable ice cream and beverages, opened its first Brazil outlet on Saturday, drawing large crowds in Sao Paulo, the country’s largest city. The opening marked its third store in the Americas after... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3349982/chinese-firms-target-brazil-it-becomes-magnet-expansion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3349982/chinese-firms-target-brazil-it-becomes-magnet-expansion?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 06:57:44 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick The Brazilian government has dismissed the head of its labour inspection authority, days after his office added Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD to a registry of employers found to have subjected workers to conditions analogous to slavery. Luiz Felipe Brandao de Mello led the National Secretariat of Labour Inspection since 2023 and his dismissal was published in the official gazette on Monday. He oversaw the unit responsible for enforcing labour standards nationwide, including the fight... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349965/brazil-fires-slave-labour-watchdog-chief-after-byd-blacklisting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349965/brazil-fires-slave-labour-watchdog-chief-after-byd-blacklisting?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 22:23:31 +0000 He Huifeng He Huifeng Two months after the United States’ capture and forcible extradition of former Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro – and as the South American country attempts to settle into a state of relative normalcy in the aftermath of the military incursion – a cohort of Chinese migrants are relocating there in search of business opportunities. Not all are new arrivals. Mey Hou, a long-term Venezuela resident in her 40s who fled the country during Maduro’s tenure, said many people from her hometown in... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347566/maduros-capture-sparked-outrage-confusion-and-chinese-migration-wave-venezuela?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347566/maduros-capture-sparked-outrage-confusion-and-chinese-migration-wave-venezuela?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 02:00:07 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado,Igor Patrick Teresa Elena Frontado,Igor Patrick China and Russia expressed support for Cuba’s embattled government amid mounting pressure from the United States, as Moscow’s deputy foreign minister concluded a visit to Havana and Beijing signalled its willingness to step up diplomatic backing for the island. “China is willing to work with the international community to firmly support Cuba in safeguarding its national sovereignty and security, and opposing external interference,” foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Friday. “The US... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3349715/china-russia-rally-behind-cuba-us-squeezes-havana-deepening-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3349715/china-russia-rally-behind-cuba-us-squeezes-havana-deepening-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 20:30:44 +0000 Juan Pablo Sims,Brice Tseen Fu Lee Juan Pablo Sims,Brice Tseen Fu Lee The Iran war has been framed as a Middle East crisis with global energy consequences. That is true, but incomplete. It is also reshaping China’s strategic map. The disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, the jump in oil prices and the shock to shipping and energy markets have reinforced a lesson for Beijing: vulnerability begins with concentration. When one region becomes more unstable, the value of diversified suppliers, routes and external partners rises. That is why Latin America matters more to... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3349271/middle-east-crisis-pushing-china-deepen-latin-america-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3349271/middle-east-crisis-pushing-china-deepen-latin-america-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Brazil is set to exhaust its annual beef export quota to China by early May, industry officials said, as cattle prices hit a nominal record and Beijing’s import restrictions forced exporters across South America to scramble for alternative markets. The benchmark price for finished cattle tracked by the Centre for Advanced Studies on Applied Economics at the University of Sao Paulo reached R$365 (US$71.57) per arroba (per 11.5-15kg) on Wednesday, a gain of 12.5 per cent over the past 12 months,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349571/brazil-track-fill-china-beef-export-quota-may-prices-hit-all-time-high?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349571/brazil-track-fill-china-beef-export-quota-may-prices-hit-all-time-high?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 19:28:30 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Chinese buyers were the end destination of a five-year smuggling pipeline that drained an estimated US$917 million worth of stolen copper from Chile, authorities said on Wednesday after police dismantled the network in one of the largest organised crime operations ever uncovered in the country. The group trucked stolen metal to Iquique, a port city in Chile’s far north, and shipped it to China in containers disguised as scrap cargo. Over the same period, it collected more than US$55 million in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349439/chile-exposes-smuggling-ring-shipped-us917m-stolen-copper-chinese-buyers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349439/chile-exposes-smuggling-ring-shipped-us917m-stolen-copper-chinese-buyers?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 22:04:40 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Brazil’s labour ministry on Tuesday added Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD to a registry of employers found to have subjected workers to conditions analogous to slavery, limiting access to state financing and increasing reputational risks in its most important market outside China. The Ministry of Labour and Employment published the updated Cadastro de Empregadores, commonly known as the “dirty list”, adding 169 employers in the latest semi-annual revision. BYD Auto do Brasil Ltda. was... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349311/brazil-blacklists-byd-slave-labour-conditions-its-biggest-plant-outside-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349311/brazil-blacklists-byd-slave-labour-conditions-its-biggest-plant-outside-china?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 20:10:07 +0000 Dewey Sim,Teresa Elena Frontado Dewey Sim,Teresa Elena Frontado US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has voiced “serious concerns” over China’s intensified inspections of Panama-flagged vessels, vowing that the US “stands firmly” with Panama amid the Latin American country’s escalating fallout with Beijing. Rubio said China’s recent actions “raise serious concerns about the use of economic tools to undermine the rule of law in Panama, a sovereign nation and vital partner for global commerce”. “Detentions, delays, or other impediments to the movement of vessels... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3348859/rubio-raises-concerns-over-chinas-detention-panama-flagged-ships?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3348859/rubio-raises-concerns-over-chinas-detention-panama-flagged-ships?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 19:34:46 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick With one of the world’s highest benchmark interest rates among major economies, Brazilian importers who buy from China are turning to a state-owned Chinese credit insurer to sustain trade flows that reached US$158 billion in 2024. Facing working capital lines that cost upwards of two per cent a month, equivalent to roughly 27 per cent a year according to market calculations, mid-sized importers are securing deferred payment terms directly from Chinese suppliers through credit limits backed by... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348719/how-chinas-state-insurer-turning-brazils-credit-crisis-export-advantage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348719/how-chinas-state-insurer-turning-brazils-credit-crisis-export-advantage?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 19:21:11 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering Latin American relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. As Trump ramps up pressure on Cuba, China has ‘very limited options’ As Washington stepped up rhetoric and pressure on Cuba after the start of its campaign in Iran, Beijing found itself torn between geopolitical reality and ideological affinity. Read the full story here. 2. US threats... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3348581/us-threats-new-chile-leader-china-tariff-mexico-7-latin-america-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3348581/us-threats-new-chile-leader-china-tariff-mexico-7-latin-america-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 15:00:10 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick China denied on Friday that it had intensified inspections of Panama-flagged vessels in retaliation for Panama’s decision to strip a Hong Kong-based conglomerate of port concessions at both ends of the Panama Canal, accusing Washington of seeking to seize control of the strategic waterway. During the daily press briefing at the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing, spokesman Lin Jian charged that the US had made “repeated wrongful allegations” about the inspections that exposed... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348217/china-denies-retaliating-against-panama-ships-accuses-washington-canal-grab?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348217/china-denies-retaliating-against-panama-ships-accuses-washington-canal-grab?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 20:09:58 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick China warned Mexico on Thursday it could impose retaliatory measures after concluding a formal investigation into tariffs Mexico imposed on more than 1,400 categories of Asian goods, in a dispute that threatens to complicate Mexico City’s parallel negotiations to renew its trade agreement with the United States. China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said the tariffs, which range from 5 to 50 per cent on 1,463 product categories in force since January 1, restrict the entry of Chinese goods,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3348054/china-threatens-mexico-trade-reprisals-over-50-import-duties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3348054/china-threatens-mexico-trade-reprisals-over-50-import-duties?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 19:04:39 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier The House Select Committee on China released a report on Friday asserting that China is manipulating its position at the United Nations to “undermine America’s interests and advance its international ambitions”. The 34-page report makes the case that China uses budget contributions, appointments to key UN executive positions and strategically deployed troops to expand its reach. The committee did not detail how these activities differed from how most countries operate at the UN, or the influence... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347399/us-claims-china-manipulating-its-position-un-undermine-americas-interests?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347399/us-claims-china-manipulating-its-position-un-undermine-americas-interests?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 23:17:06 +0000 Cao Jiaxuan Cao Jiaxuan As Washington steps up rhetoric and pressure on Cuba after its campaign in Iran, Beijing finds itself torn between geopolitical reality and ideological affinity. According to analysts, Beijing has few good options to counter US hegemony in Washington’s own backyard, and its response is likely to be constrained to diplomatic opposition and modest humanitarian aid. They said any disruption to global stability ultimately harmed Beijing’s interests and did not see prolonged US military action... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346970/trump-ramps-pressure-cuba-china-has-very-limited-options?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346970/trump-ramps-pressure-cuba-china-has-very-limited-options?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 12:00:08 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick The US military is monitoring 23 Chinese port projects and 12 space-enabling facilities across Latin America and considers every one of them “a potential dual-use asset” that could support Chinese military operations, the top US commander for South America told Congress on Tuesday. General Francis Donovan, head of US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), made the disclosure during a House Armed Services Committee hearing on US military posture in the western hemisphere. Asked by Lance Gooden, a... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3346940/us-military-tracks-23-chinese-port-projects-latin-america-general-tells-congress?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3346940/us-military-tracks-23-chinese-port-projects-latin-america-general-tells-congress?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 21:08:51 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Chilean President Jose Antonio Kast wasted no time. Less than a week after his inauguration, Chile’s arch-conservative president on Monday began overseeing preparations to build a border barrier - part of his flagship campaign promise to block immigrants from crossing illegally. From Chile’s northern frontier area of Chacalluta, where legions of immigrants have slipped across the Peruvian border into one of the region’s most prosperous nations, Kast vowed to implement what he calls his “Border... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3346819/channeling-trump-chiles-new-president-launches-work-border-barrier?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3346819/channeling-trump-chiles-new-president-launches-work-border-barrier?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 02:32:31 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick A United States diplomat has told Brazilian port industry executives that Washington does not want a Chinese company to win the concession for a major container terminal in Santos, the largest port in Latin America, in the latest sign that the race for one of Brazil’s most prized infrastructure assets has become a front in the broader rivalry between Washington and Beijing. Kevin Murakami, the US consul-general in Sao Paulo, made the comments on March 5, at an event organised by Grupo A Tribuna,... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3346804/washington-signals-it-wants-china-kept-out-brazils-largest-port-auction?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3346804/washington-signals-it-wants-china-kept-out-brazils-largest-port-auction?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 19:12:22 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Chilean President Gabriel Boric left La Moneda presidential palace for the last time on Wednesday, ending a four-year term with a call for national unity that most observers took as a reference to the Chinese undersea cable dispute that defined his final weeks in office. “I wish success to the incoming government, success for Chile, and may our homeland always come first, above any interest, above any disagreement,” Boric said from the palace courtyard, where he arrived with his partner, Paula... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346275/chiles-boric-leaves-office-calls-unity-after-split-successor-over-china-cable?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346275/chiles-boric-leaves-office-calls-unity-after-split-successor-over-china-cable?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 18:30:28 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick The Chilean capital Santiago awoke on Wednesday to a mixture of celebration and tension. As the city prepared for the inauguration of its centre-right president, the new government’s first crisis was already unfolding behind the scenes: an undersea fibre-optic cable linking the South American country to Hong Kong that had enraged Washington and may prove a watershed moment in how Latin America handles critical infrastructure projects and its partnership with Beijing. Jose Antonio Kast was... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346261/inauguration-day-chiles-new-president-inherits-chinese-cable-scandal-and-us-threats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346261/inauguration-day-chiles-new-president-inherits-chinese-cable-scandal-and-us-threats?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 13:44:08 +0000 Haining Gao Haining Gao - https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3345498/chinese-companies-expand-globally?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3345498/chinese-companies-expand-globally?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 02:33:47 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering Latin America relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. China becomes Brazil’s biggest vehicle exporter in January, surpassing Argentina China surpassed Argentina in February to become Brazil’s largest exporter of vehicles, solidifying Chinese brands’ dominance in the region’s biggest car market and undercutting a long-standing Argentine... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344942/panama-anger-china-linked-crime-ousted-peru-president-7-latin-america-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344942/panama-anger-china-linked-crime-ousted-peru-president-7-latin-america-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 02:15:09 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou The Chilean government has turned down a request from a Chinese military hospital ship to treat Chilean residents on board the vessel. The decision reflects Santiago’s tilt towards Washington and US efforts to exert more influence in the western hemisphere, according to a Chinese academic. The Chilean Ministry of Health said on Friday that it had reviewed the Silk Road Ark’s request and decided not to grant it, citing a health code that restricts such services to professionals accredited ‌in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344972/why-wont-chile-let-chinas-silk-road-ark-military-hospital-ship-give-medical-aid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344972/why-wont-chile-let-chinas-silk-road-ark-military-hospital-ship-give-medical-aid?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Feb 2026 10:00:30 +0000 Winston Mok Winston Mok In the early days of 2026, there has been an unexpected turn in China’s global relations. Some US allies have started reaching out to China just as China faced complications in ties with some friendly countries in the Global South. The underlying cause for both trends is the Trump administration’s imperial behaviour. With the dramatic abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and US President Donald Trump’s wish to control Venezuela’s oil, China’s economic stake in one of its closest... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3344410/chinas-latin-america-strategy-goes-well-beyond-venezuela-and-panama?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3344410/chinas-latin-america-strategy-goes-well-beyond-venezuela-and-panama?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 08:30:09 +0000 Igor Patrick,Teresa Elena Frontado Igor Patrick,Teresa Elena Frontado Panama on Monday took control of two ports at the Atlantic and Pacific entrances of the Panama Canal after a Supreme Court ruling voided the concession of their Hong Kong-based operator, a move Washington officials said was “in line with President Donald Trump’s drive to curb Chinese influence” over the strategic waterway. A decree published in the official gazette authorises the Panama Maritime Authority to occupy and run the ports of Balboa and Cristobal for “reasons of urgent social... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/3344379/panama-orders-control-canal-ports-operated-hong-kong-firm-after-supreme-court-ruling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/3344379/panama-orders-control-canal-ports-operated-hong-kong-firm-after-supreme-court-ruling?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Feb 2026 16:45:03 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Peruvian lawmakers picked Jose Maria Balcazar as the country’s new interim president on Wednesday, making him the country’s eighth leader in a decade after Jose Jeri was impeached on corruption allegations. The left-wing lawmaker was elected head of Peru’s Congress after a vote broadcast live on TV, meaning the 83-year-old lawyer and former judge will become Peru’s eighth head of state since 2016. The vote brought to an end a power vacuum of more than 24 hours, unprecedented in the country’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3343987/peru-congress-picks-countrys-eighth-president-decade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3343987/peru-congress-picks-countrys-eighth-president-decade?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Feb 2026 06:21:12 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Brazil has imposed anti-dumping duties on a broad range of Chinese steel products and hypodermic needles following two investigations that found the imports were being sold at unfairly low prices, harming domestic producers. Approved by the government’s foreign trade committee and signed by Vice-President Geraldo Alckmin in his capacity as trade chief, the measures apply for up to five years and target cold-rolled steel, coated flat steel and medical needles shipped from China. Cold-rolled steel... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343943/chinese-steel-hit-duties-us670-tonne-brazil-dumping-probe-concludes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343943/chinese-steel-hit-duties-us670-tonne-brazil-dumping-probe-concludes?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Feb 2026 19:40:50 +0000 Lijia Zhang Lijia Zhang A few weeks ago, while travelling in Buenos Aires, I learned a new word: chino. I already knew its literal meaning – even a poor linguist like me could manage that – but in Argentina the word has taken on a second life. A chino is the neighbourhood mini-market run by Chinese migrants, most of whom are from Fujian or Guangdong province. Known for staying open late, these shops have become a fixture of urban life. One afternoon, as an Argentine friend showed me around his neighbourhood in Palermo,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3342817/forging-robust-china-south-america-ties-takes-more-just-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3342817/forging-robust-china-south-america-ties-takes-more-just-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Feb 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Peru’s Congress voted on Tuesday to remove President Jose Jeri from office following a series of undisclosed late-night meetings at a Chinese restaurant with a Chinese state contractor, setting off a political scandal dubbed “Chifagate”, a reference to the country’s Chinese-Peruvian fusion cuisine. Lawmakers voted 75-24, with three abstentions, to censure Jeri over the unregistered encounters with businessman Zhihua Yang, whose companies have supplied the state and who owns the restaurant and a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343850/peru-removes-president-jose-jeri-chifagate-scandal-tied-chinese-contractor?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343850/peru-removes-president-jose-jeri-chifagate-scandal-tied-chinese-contractor?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Feb 2026 20:09:22 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Brazil is on course to exhaust its annual beef export quota to China by September, industry researchers said on Tuesday, as the government warns that uncontrolled shipments could trigger a collapse in domestic prices and jobs in the cattle sector. If the pace of exports recorded in January is maintained, Brazil will fill its 2026 quota of 1.106 million tonnes well before year end, according to the Centre for Advanced Studies on Applied Economics at the University of Sao Paulo, known as Cepea. In... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3343849/brazil-races-china-beef-cap-55-tariff-risks-price-collapse?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3343849/brazil-races-china-beef-cap-55-tariff-risks-price-collapse?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Feb 2026 19:53:03 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Brazilian prosecutors and police launched an extensive crackdown on a Chinese electronics distribution network accused of laundering more than one billion reais (US$190 million) over seven months through a system allegedly related to one of Latin America’s most powerful crime syndicates. The Primeiro Comando da Capital, or PCC, syndicate allegedly sold imported consumer electronics throughout Brazil via a Chinese e-commerce platform called “Knup Brasil”, including mobile phone chargers,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3343545/brazil-breaks-china-linked-us190m-money-laundering-ring-tied-top-crime-syndicate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3343545/brazil-breaks-china-linked-us190m-money-laundering-ring-tied-top-crime-syndicate?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 18:32:56 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick The United States has issued a warning that Peru risks eroding its sovereignty after a court ruling limited state oversight of a Chinese-controlled megaport, prompting a sharp rebuke from Beijing and intensifying geopolitical tensions over a strategic hub on South America’s Pacific coast. The dispute centres on the Port of Chancay, a US$1.3 billion deep water facility located about 80 kilometres (50 miles) north of Lima and majority owned by China’s state-run shipping giant Cosco Shipping... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3343384/us-china-clash-over-perus-chancay-megaport-after-court-bars-regulator-oversight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3343384/us-china-clash-over-perus-chancay-megaport-after-court-bars-regulator-oversight?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Feb 2026 21:04:25 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg China has bought some Venezuelan oil that was bought earlier by the US, according to Energy Secretary Chris Wright. “China has already bought some of the crude that’s been sold by the US government,” Wright told the media in Caracas, without giving details. “Legitimate Chinese business deals under legitimate business conditions” would be fine, he said, when asked about possible joint ventures in the country. China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said he wasn’t familiar with Wright’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343368/china-bought-legitimate-venezuelan-oil-us-after-maduro-seizure-energy-secretary-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343368/china-bought-legitimate-venezuelan-oil-us-after-maduro-seizure-energy-secretary-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Feb 2026 14:23:13 +0000 Junjie Wang,Haining Gao Junjie Wang,Haining Gao – https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/article/3343247/china-vies-us-latin-america?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/article/3343247/china-vies-us-latin-america?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Feb 2026 02:25:48 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick China will support Cuba “in the best way possible” as the island grapples with an energy crisis following tougher measures imposed by US President Donald Trump’s administration, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson confirmed on Wednesday. Speaking at a regular press briefing in Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said China “will do what it can” to assist Havana and again condemned what he described as “inhumane actions that deprive the Cuban people of their right to survival and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343242/china-vows-do-what-it-can-us-blockade-leaves-cuba-just-weeks-oil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343242/china-vows-do-what-it-can-us-blockade-leaves-cuba-just-weeks-oil?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 22:37:01 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick The United States is seeking a fair and enduring competition with China, along with strengthening its economic and political relationships with Latin America, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Tuesday. He termed this the strategy of reducing vulnerabilities without cutting ties with Beijing. Speaking at an investor conference in Sao Paulo, hosted by the Brazilian bank BTG Pactual, Bessent said that Washington did not want to sever economic ties with China. Still, it was trying to... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3343118/treasury-chief-says-us-seeks-fair-china-competition-eyes-latin-america-realignment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3343118/treasury-chief-says-us-seeks-fair-china-competition-eyes-latin-america-realignment?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 22:05:24 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick China surpassed Argentina in January to become Brazil’s largest exporter of vehicles, solidifying Chinese brands’ dominance in the region’s biggest car market and undercutting a long-standing Argentine trade advantage within Mercosur. According to industry figures reported by Autoweb on Monday, Chinese vehicles sent to Brazil reached 16,800 units in January, versus 13,400 from Argentina. It underscores the erosion of Argentina’s decades-long grip on Brazil’s import market, after China first led... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3342980/china-becomes-brazils-biggest-vehicle-exporter-january-surpassing-argentina?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3342980/china-becomes-brazils-biggest-vehicle-exporter-january-surpassing-argentina?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 22:00:35 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang China should consider delaying US President Donald Trump’s visit to the country and inflict “harsh” punishments on Panama after it stripped a Hong Kong-based conglomerate of its control of the canal, a legal analyst has said. Tian Feilong, vice dean of the law school at Minzu University, also said Beijing should impose “institutional” punishments on US “proxies” in the Latin American country and impose secondary sanctions on relevant American parties. By “squeezing” China out of Latin America,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342940/china-urged-harshly-punish-panama-over-courts-canal-ruling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342940/china-urged-harshly-punish-panama-over-courts-canal-ruling?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 14:00:11 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen China has promised to send more aid to Cuba and deepen cooperation with Uruguay as it reaches out to its Latin American allies to fend off renewed American interest in the region. Cuba became the second Latin American country to send a high-ranking official to China this week. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla’s arrival in Beijing follows that of Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi, the first regional leader to travel to China since the US assault on Venezuela in early... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342705/china-keeps-cuba-and-uruguay-fold-puts-panama-out-cold?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342705/china-keeps-cuba-and-uruguay-fold-puts-panama-out-cold?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 15:00:10 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Brazil has ended a temporary tariff exemption that allowed electric and hybrid vehicles assembled using imported parts from China to enter the country at sharply reduced costs, closing a measure that fuelled months of confrontation between the government, Chinese carmaker BYD and Brazil’s established automotive industry. The exemption expired on January 31 and was not renewed, the South China Morning Post confirmed with multiple sources on Wednesday. Companies such as BYD and Great Wall Motor... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342454/brazil-scraps-ev-tariff-break-china-carmaker-byd-amid-pressure-rivals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342454/brazil-scraps-ev-tariff-break-china-carmaker-byd-amid-pressure-rivals?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Feb 2026 03:32:30 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino rejected criticism from Chinese and Hong Kong authorities on Wednesday over a Supreme Court ruling that voided a long-standing port concession at the Panama Canal, arguing that the decision falls squarely within Panama’s constitutional and legal framework. Mulino’s comments came after China’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office issued a sharply worded commentary condemning the court’s decision to declare unconstitutional the concession held by Panama Ports... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342425/panama-president-defends-judiciary-after-china-slams-canal-port-concession-ruling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342425/panama-president-defends-judiciary-after-china-slams-canal-port-concession-ruling?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Feb 2026 16:52:38 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou Venezuela will ensure that Chinese energy, trade and investment interests in the South American country are secure, its envoy to Beijing has said. The reassurance from Remigio Ceballos comes amid growing concern in Beijing that last month’s unprecedented US assault on Venezuela might complicate China’s ties with the resource-rich country and the wider region. “China and Venezuela are trusted partners who share mutual trust. Both nations are sovereign states, and their bilateral relationship... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342261/month-after-maduro-abduction-venezuela-moves-reassure-china-its-investments-are-safe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342261/month-after-maduro-abduction-venezuela-moves-reassure-china-its-investments-are-safe?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Feb 2026 13:01:40 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick China’s state-owned aluminium giant Chalco and Anglo-Australian miner Rio Tinto have agreed to buy a controlling stake in Brazil’s Companhia Brasileira de Aluminio (CBA) in a deal valued at US$886 million, marking one of the most significant foreign acquisitions in Brazil’s metals sector in recent years and reinforcing China’s growing footprint in the country’s strategic mineral assets. The transaction covers Brazilian conglomerate Grupo Votorantim’s 68.6 per cent stake in CBA and will be... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342156/china-tightens-grip-brazil-minerals-chalco-rio-tinto-buy-control-cba-us886m?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342156/china-tightens-grip-brazil-minerals-chalco-rio-tinto-buy-control-cba-us886m?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Feb 2026 19:04:52 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering Latin America relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. US won’t rule out pressuring Venezuela to curb China, Russia ties In the wake of the abduction of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro on January 3, the White House stopped short of denying reports that America had urged Venezuela to cut ties with US adversaries such as China, Russia and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341901/brazil-gold-perus-china-scandal-post-venezuela-worries-7-latin-america-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341901/brazil-gold-perus-china-scandal-post-venezuela-worries-7-latin-america-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Feb 2026 15:59:08 +0000 Khushboo Razdan,Igor Patrick Khushboo Razdan,Igor Patrick Washington on Friday welcomed a Panamanian court ruling cancelling a contract held by a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings to operate two ports along the Panama Canal, a decision seen as a boost to the United States’ efforts to counter Chinese influence in the western hemisphere. The reaction came as Panama’s government sought to reassure workers and investors on the ground that trade and jobs would not be affected. “The United States is encouraged by the recent Panamanian... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3341908/us-hails-panama-high-court-ruling-against-ck-hutchisons-ports-concession?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3341908/us-hails-panama-high-court-ruling-against-ck-hutchisons-ports-concession?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Jan 2026 21:06:42 +0000 David Dodwell David Dodwell In Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises, Mike Campbell described how he went bankrupt: “Gradually, and then suddenly.” Over the past weeks, there is a feeling that US President Donald Trump and his administration have reached the “suddenly” bit. First, Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney captivated a World Economic Forum audience when he described the “rupture” in the rules-based order, a “bargain” that “no longer works”: leaving middle countries like Canada with no choice but to dilute their... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3341726/gradually-then-suddenly-world-waking-us-threat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3341726/gradually-then-suddenly-world-waking-us-threat?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Jan 2026 08:30:14 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick One of the leading scholars of China-Latin America relations, Francisco Urdinez is known for coining the concept of “economic displacement”, a theory that also gives its name to his Cambridge University Press book title published in November. The idea holds that China’s rise has reduced US relevance in the region by making partnerships with Beijing more consequential and ties with Washington less essential for many governments. Now, in the wake of US attacks on Caracas and the abduction of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3341536/francisco-urdinez-how-venezuela-tests-chinas-economic-advance-latin-america?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3341536/francisco-urdinez-how-venezuela-tests-chinas-economic-advance-latin-america?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Jan 2026 22:00:08 +0000