Maria Montt Strabucchi, an Associate Professor and Vice President for International Affairs at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, discusses the unique relationship between Chile and China, highlighting historical and economic ties, including copper and lithium exports. She explores the cultural integration of the Chinese diaspora in Chile and the rising academic interest in China-related studies. Montt also addresses the challenges faced by students in East Asian studies, underscoring the importance of initiatives like the Millennium Nucleus project for fostering understanding of Chinese influence in Latin America.
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insights INSIGHT
China Is Chile's Central Trade Partner
China now receives about 40% of Chile's exports, making it a central economic partner.
The relationship is driven mainly by mining exports like copper and growing lithium trade.
insights INSIGHT
Commodity Exports Shape Bilateral Ties
Chile's exports to China center on mining products, especially copper and lithium, plus fruit like cherries.
These commodity links shape Chile's broader political and economic engagement with China.
insights INSIGHT
Academic Capacity Lags Behind Demand
Chile lacks dedicated university departments of Chinese studies, with most work embedded in broader Asian or disciplinary programs.
This gap creates a shortage of experts despite rising public and academic interest.
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Chile holds the distinction of being the first South American nation to forge diplomatic ties with the People's Republic of China, as well as the first in Latin America to enter into a free trade agreement with China. Despite the nearly 24-hour journey required to travel between the two countries, this considerable distance has not hindered the expanding interactions between them. The presence of various waves of the Chinese diaspora in Chile, while often overlooked, is a real aspect of the country's demographic landscape.
In this episode of the Nordic Asia Podcast, Maria Montt Strabucchi, an Associate Professor at the Institute of History at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (Pontifical Catholic University of Chile) and Vice President for International Affairs at the same University, discusses the deepening connections between Chile and China and their implications for the development of China-related studies and education within Chile.
Her research interests encompass the portrayal of "China" and "Chineseness," as well as the dynamics of Chinese-Latin American relations, particularly in the context of Chile. Her 2023 publication, “Representation of China in Latin American Literature (1987-2016)” (Liverpool University Press), is available as an open-access resource.
Julie Yu-Wen Chen is Professor of Chinese Studies at the Department of Cultures at the University of Helsinki (Finland). Since 2023, she has been involved in the EUVIP: The EU in the Volatile Indo-Pacific Region, a project funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe coordination and support action 10107906 (HORIZON-WIDERA-2021-ACCESS-03).
New Books in East Asian Studies 