As US turns inward, coronavirus gives China ‘opportunity of the century’ in Latin America

As the region heads for a coronavirus-induced economic crisis, Beijing is well placed to capitalise, researchers say

Vacuum left by the United States gives China a chance to show leadership while further building its commercial presence and political influence

Reading Time:12 minutes

Published: 6:00am, 6 Jun 2020Updated: 6:08pm, 15 Jun 2020

On April 13, Argentina received a consignment of boxes from China containing not only surgical masks and other health-care equipment, but also a quote written in Chinese and Spanish from the well-known Argentine poem El Gaucho Martín Fierro. The sentence, placed beneath the Chinese and Argentine flags on the boxes, talked about brotherhood and “true union”.

Felipe Sola, Argentina’s foreign minister, was quick to take to Twitter, applauding China: “Thank you for your solidarity. No one can save themselves alone.”

Just two weeks ago, Beijing’s official news agency Xinhua ran a piece about how a Chinese-backed energy project in Argentina was helping to launch the Health Silk Road in the region – a moniker linked to the Belt and Road Initiative, which has been promoted as an opportunity for nations to build infrastructure, enhance connections and develop trade with China.

Tonnes of state-sponsored and private companies’ donations from China have recently made headlines in countries in Latin America – declared by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as the new epicentre of the pandemic.

But will the so-called “face-mask diplomacy” have a long-term effect in a region plunging into economic recession? Most experts who spoke to This Week in Asia say China’s presence is likely to grow in the southern hemisphere after the coronavirus crisis, with a potential greater focus on health and technological cooperation.

Although it is hard to predict how geopolitical and commercial interests will realign, some researchers say Beijing is winning the perception battle in Latin America, while emerging as a more active and helpful partner amid the pandemic than the United States. This crisis, they argue, can be an opportunity like no other for China to show its leadership ability in a region that will need further help.

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