Last month, Xi Jinping essentially set himself up to rule China for at least the next 10 years, if not for life. In that speech, he basically made the point that China isn't backing down on any of its core interests. He's really now on a conservative diplomatic mission to win over the third countries and Latin is a huge part of that. I'm just winning over these countries that really don't want to pick sides between the US and China.
As China seeks to grow its economy and increase its global influence, it’s lending billions of dollars to help governments around the world fund big, expensive projects that otherwise would be out of reach. In Asia, Africa–and, notably, in Latin America, next door to the US.
That money could pay off politically, too, in the ongoing rivalry between Washington and Beijing. For a look at China’s global projects–and what its leaders hope to accomplish with them–Rebecca Choong Wilkins joins this episode. She’s a Bloomberg government reporter based in Hong Kong.
We then talk with Jonathan Gilbert, a reporter based in Buenos Aires, who describes what happens when China comes calling with lots of cash. And Dan Ten Kate, who oversees Bloomberg’s government coverage in Asia, stops by to explain why the US has been so slow to respond to China’s advances in the region.
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