Latin American Cultural Resiliency to External Foreign Policy: Strategic Implications for the United States as China Extends into Latin America
Abstract
Chinas meteoric rise has captured the attention of the United States. Adding to the complexity is China has successfully made inroads in Latin America. This reality has strategists and policy-makers at odds with one-another with respect to formulating a policy for addressing the growth of Chinese influence in Latin America. The concern is whether the rise of China and its increasing presence in Latin America signals a challenge to the influence of the United States in the Western Hemisphere. This document discusses the pragmatic approach Latin American nations are exploring with respect to Chinese influence in the region as its cultural resiliency ensures the United States will maintain its regional dominance. Now is the time for the United States to emphasis its relationship with Latin America. According to a 2013 Latinobarmetro poll, an average of 69 percent of Latin American respondents have a favorable opinion of the United States, an increase of 11 percentage points from 2008. Ethnographic research indicates China operates in a cultural deficit that becomes advantageous to the United States. Chinese political influence is part-and-parcel to the growing economic presence in Latin America. This paper utilizes Monica Deharts China Model and South-South cooperation approach as organizing principles to dissect implications for Latin America. The research has netted an understanding that Latin American nations are mature states seeking their own political agendas while China is attempting to increase its political and economic influence by closing a cultural gap that exists.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 04, 2016
- Accession Number
- AD1010532
Entities
People
- Benito J. Barron
Organizations
- National Defense University