Drum Tower | China

How did Latin America become a battleground in the US-China rivalry?

Our weekly podcast on China. This week, we examine how the Trump administration is trying to counter Chinese influence in the region

China has been deepening its ties with Latin America, making strategic investments in key infrastructure to boost its influence in the resource-rich region. It’s not the only thing that has President Donald Trump worried. He sees countries like Mexico as weak links in America’s defences, blaming them for allowing in drugs, migrants, and foreign imports that threaten American jobs. Increasingly, those threats involve China.

David Rennie, The Economist’s geopolitics editor, and Sarah Birke, our Mexico bureau chief, ask: how did Latin America become a front line in Donald Trump’s confrontation with China?

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