Latin America must engage with Chinas and the US differing views of the region

China’s third White Paper on Latin America and the Caribbean marks a new milestone in relations between Beijing and our region. These documents, previously published by the Chinese government in 2008 and 2016, are part of a strategic roadmap that provides insight into Beijing’s priorities, goals, and long-term vision. The document reaffirms the importance China attaches to Latin America as an integral part of the Global South and as a key partner in building a multipolar international order. The text itself states that the region is an “indispensable force in the process of global multipolarization and economic globalization,” a definition that reflects the growing strategic weight that Beijing assigns to our countries. The core of the document is structured around five major programs: solidarity, development, civilizations, peace, and people. Five major points The solidarity program highlights the importance China places on the implementation of the Global Governance Initiative, a Chinese diplomatic program aimed at strengthening multilateral institutions and promoting an international order that reflects the interests of developing countries. The development program, for its part, proposes a comprehensive deepening of China-LAC cooperation in finance, trade, and investment, with a special emphasis on strategic sectors such as energy, agriculture, and infrastructure.  China’s willingness to “expand and deepen cooperation with LAC in the exploitation and use of energy throughout the industrial chain on the basis of cooperation and mutual benefit” is particularly important for our country. Chinese investments already play a significant role in areas such as hydroelectric power generation, renewable energy, and the development of minerals critical to the energy transition. The civilizations program aims to strengthen cultural, academic, and educational exchanges, consolidating a dimension that is less visible but crucial to sustaining long-term strategic relationships. The peace program emphasizes cooperation on security and peaceful dispute resolution, in line with China’s position of promoting an international order based on multilateralism.  Finally, the peoples’ program seeks to deepen ties between societies by promoting tourism, youth exchanges, and subnational cooperation. Together, these five programs form a roadmap that reflects the qualitative leap that relations between China and Latin America have undergone in the last two decades. It is no coincidence that the document states that the ties “have entered a new stage” and that both sides have become a “community with a shared future.” The timing A key element in interpreting the publication of the third White Paper is the context in which China decided to publish it.  On December 4, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration published the latest edition of its famous U.S. National Security Strategy. It states that Washington will seek to “deny non-hemispheric competitors the ability to own or control strategically vital assets in our hemisphere” and reinforce “the attractiveness of the United States as a preferred partner.” These definitions, categorized as the “Donroe doctrine,” reflect a vision of the region as an area of influence. Along the same lines, we can cite the statements made by the recently appointed U.S. Ambassador to Argentina, Peter Lamelas, who defined China as an “evil presence” and said he would work “to keep them out of the continent.” This vision contrasts with the approach presented in the Chinese White Paper, which maintains that its relations with Latin America “do not target, exclude, or are conditioned by any third party” and promotes the construction of an “equal and orderly multipolar world.”  As if in direct response to Washington’s statement, the Chinese document raises the need to “reject unilateral bullying behavior” and strengthen multilateralism. Latin America finds itself at the intersection of two opposing visions of the international order competing for closer ties with the region.  Whether under a narrative that seeks to preserve areas of influence interpreted as its own or another that promotes mutual benefit, it is essential to understand the real meaning and scope of these documents in order to strategically engage with the two hegemonic powers, prioritizing national interests over ideological alignments.