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China-Latin America relations

China-Latin America relations
News, features and updates on Beijing's relations with various Latin American nations, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela and more.
People walk past a mural with the Cuban flag in Havana, Cuba, on April 15. Photo: EPA
Mainland China

Beijing backs Cuba, Chile reveals smuggling ring: Latin America relations reads

From a smuggling ring in Chile to rare earth wrangling in Brazil, here are highlights from the SCMP’s foreign correspondents in March 2026.

Mainland China

Senate vote leaves Cuba’s uncertain future at dangerous crossroads

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US-China relations

UN bloated, costly, but China fears to keep US involved, House committee told

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Spain

Spain signs deals with Brazil as Sanchez builds anti-Trump bloc

The Spanish leader is hosting heads of state and government in a bid to counter the US president and revive the political left.

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Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez (right) and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva attend the Spain-Brazil Summit in Barcelona on Friday. Photo: EPA
Peru

US will help Peru ‘take back’ Chancay port from China, Congress chair says

Maria Elvira Salazar warns port’s ‘dual usage’ potential could enable Chinese submarines, carriers and warships to operate from Peru.

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Rare earths

China and the US want rare earths. Brazil will share – on one condition

Move comes as Washington locks US$565 million deal with Brazil’s only operating rare earth mine.

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China’s private sector

Chinese firms drawn to Brazil as they seek anchor for Latin America expansion

Chinese brands like Mixue, BYD, and Geely are surging into Brazil, leveraging strong trade ties and local strategies for growth.

Chinese ice cream and beverage chain Mixue opened its first Brazilian store in Sao Paulo, on April 11, 2026. Photo: Reuters
Brazil

BYD made Brazil’s slave labour list. The man behind the decision lost his job

Union said sacking is part of pattern of political meddling in slavery cases.

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US-Venezuela conflict

‘Eager to explore’: Chinese migrants return to Venezuela after Maduro’s capture

A large chunk of Venezuela’s Chinese community fled overseas during Maduro’s rule. Now, many are returning as they see ‘new opportunities’.

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Russia

China, Russia rally behind Cuba as US squeezes Havana in deepening crisis

‘China is willing to work with the international community to firmly support Cuba,’ said a Beijing spokesperson.

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Cuba faces a deepening crisis marked by widespread power outages, acute fuel shortages and growing economic strain, as external pressure and limited supplies weigh on daily life. Photo: EPA
China economy

Opinion | Why Latin America is becoming indispensable to China

Latin America fits Beijing’s need for alternative partners with uncomfortable precision. That is a problem for Washington.

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Chinese President Xi Jinping and wife Peng Liyuan (right) pose for a photo with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his wife Rosangela da Silva in Beijing, China, on May 13, 2025, on the sidelines of the fourth ministerial meeting of the China-CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) Forum. Photo: EPA-EFE/Xinhua
United States

Cattle prices rocket as Brazil set to exhaust Chinese beef quota by May

As Beijing tariff nears, Brazil’s exporters are rapidly reaching their quota for China, forcing South American industry to seek new buyers.

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Mainland China

Chile exposes smuggling ring that shipped US$917m in stolen copper to China

Chilean investigators dismantled cross-border networks after one of largest organised crime operations in South American country’s history.

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Brazil

Brazil blacklists China EV giant BYD for its slave labour conditions

Government officials said staff were working excessively long hours while being kept in degrading circumstances in their accommodation.

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BYD’s electric vehicle factory’s construction site in Camaçari, Brazil, in December 2024. Photo: Reuters
Mainland China

Rubio raises concerns over China’s detention of Panama-flagged ships

Panama’s decision to strip Panama Ports Company of its concessions is a test of US backing for countries challenging China, experts say.

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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the G7 Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Paris last month. Photo: Reuters
Brazil

Brazil exporters bypass local banks to tap China’s US$1 trillion Sinosure fund

As Brazilian interest rates price out local lenders, Sinosure is quietly reshaping how Chinese goods reach the market.

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Brazil

US threats for Chile, China tariffs Mexico: 7 Latin America relations reads

From Panama Canal woes to an undersea cable scandal in Chile, here are highlights from the SCMP’s foreign correspondents in March 2026.

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Panama

China denies retaliating against Panama ships, accuses Washington of canal grab

US body says Beijing’s inspections of Panama-flagged ships exceed historical norms and may be reprisals over ousted Hong Kong operator.

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People work on a construction project at the Port of Balboa, managed by Hong Kong’s CK Hutchison Holdings, at the entrance to the Panama Canal in February. Photo: AFP
Mexico

China threatens Mexico with trade reprisals over 50% import duties

Economy secretary rejected Beijing’s complaints, saying Chinese firms sell below cost with state backing and Mexico will not back down.

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US-China relations

US claims China manipulating its position at UN to undermine America’s interests

House Select Committee says Beijing using monetary contributions, critical UN posts and strategic troop deployment to expand its reach.

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Cuba

As Trump ramps up pressure on Cuba, China has ‘very limited options’

Any response from Beijing is likely to be constrained to diplomatic opposition and humanitarian aid, according to analysts.

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Cuba scrambled to restore power on Monday after a nationwide blackout that hit the communist-run island just as US President Donald Trump said he expected to take it over. Photo: AFP
US-China relations

US tracks 23 Chinese port projects in Latin America, general tells Congress

Top US commander says Chinese port and space projects across Latin America are all seen as potential dual-use military assets.

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General Francis Donovan, head of US Southern Command, oversees US military operations across Latin America and the Caribbean. Photo: AFP
Americas and the Caribbean

Channeling Trump, Chile’s new president launches work on border barrier

Arch-conservative leader Kast has vowed to crack down on immigration from Peru and Bolivia with his ‘Border Shield’ plan.

Brazil

China wants Brazil’s biggest port terminal. Washington just said no

US consul-general Kevin Murakami told port executives the Santos megadeal should not fall into ‘unwanted hands’.

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United States

Amid China cable fallout, Chile’s president ends term, calls for unity

Undersea fibre-optic cable project linking Chile to Hong Kong enraged US, causing dispute that defined Gabriel Boric’s final weeks in office.

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Chilean President Gabriel Boric leaves the La Moneda presidential palace in Santiago after his four-year term ended on Wednesday. Photo: Handout
Chile

US threats and a Chinese cable scandal mark first day for Chile’s new president

The US forced Chile to cancel a Chinese undersea cable. Now the region is asking who gets to decide what infrastructure Latin America builds.

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Jose Antonio Kast was elected as Chile’s president in November after his Republican Party won just over 58 per cent of the vote. Photo: Reuters
China exports

Chinese companies expand globally

Chinese firms are investing in overseas factories and marketing to develop global brands. Domestic price wars are pushing more companies to go global – “chuhai” in Chinese – in search of new growth opportunities.

Ousted president, China-linked crime, Panama: 7 Latin America relations reads

From friction over the Panama Canal to steel dumping and crime, here are highlights from the SCMP’s foreign correspondents in February 2026.

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