The Panamanian government formally took over the two ports operated by Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison this week at both ends of the Panama Canal. U.S. officials celebrated the move as part of their larger effort to expel China from the Western Hemisphere.
Washington has now set its sights on the Chinese-owned Chancay mega port in Peru.
But given the extent of Chinese engagement in Latin America, most notably the fact that the region does more than half-a-trillion dollars of trade annually with China, is it even possible for the U.S. to expel the Chinese?
Pedro Armada, a Panama City-based risk consultant who closely follows the U.S.-China rivalry in Latin America, joins Eric to discuss what happens next following the expulsion of CK Hutchison from the canal zone and what it means for the rest of Latin America.
📌 Topics covered in this episode:
• Panama's takeover of Chinese-operated ports • U.S. pressure on Peru's Chinese-built Chancay port • Trump's Western Hemisphere strategy toward China • Narrative battles and misinformation in Latin America • Trade ties that make decoupling from China difficult • Whether Beijing is waiting out U.S. political cycles
Show Notes:
- The China-Global South Project: The Paradox of Panama's "Rule of Law": Hutchison Ports vs. Minera Panama by Pedro Armada: https://tinyurl.com/4vcta4tw
- The China-Global South Project: Panama and the New U.S. Strategy to Counter China in Latin America by Pedro Armada: https://tinyurl.com/msspbmbw
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