{
"authors": [
"Jorge Heine",
"Evan A. Feigenbaum",
"Cynthia Sanborn",
"Omar Manky",
"Juliana González Jáuregui",
"Celio Hiratuka",
"Tin Hinane El-Kadi"
],
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"Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
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"collections": [
"China Local/Global: Latin America"
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"primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
"programAffiliation": "AP",
"programs": [
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"projects": [
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"regions": [
"South America",
"Central America and the Caribbean",
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"topics": [
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}
Adaptive China: Engaging Local Realities in Latin America and Beyond
Tue, November 11th, 2025
Online
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Latin America, as in many parts of the world, has struggled to adjust to the rapid influx of Chinese investment and influence. But these interactions between Latin American countries and China are not homogenous, providing important lessons from this diversity of experience.
China, too, has learned much from its growing activities in the region. Chinese actors are increasingly adapting to local conditions, despite the dominant narrative that China extends its global influence by imposing its development model on other countries. As Chinese players have also used adaptive strategies, assimilating local and traditional forms, norms, and practices, they are developing a complex web of interconnections in Latin America.
The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the Universidad del Pacífico hosted an event in Lima, Peru addressing the diverse ways that China is expanding its relationships in Latin America. Leveraging a deeply researched body of work in Carnegie’s China Local/Global initiative, this event featured a keynote address by former Chilean ambassador to China Jorge Heine on “The China Question in Latin America,” followed by a robust discussion featuring Latin American authors of research in the initiative, as well as comparative perspectives by authors from other regions.
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
Event Speakers
Amb. Jorge Heine
Former Ambassador, Chile to China
Ambassador Jorge Heine is a lawyer, international relations scholar and diplomat. He has served as ambassador of Chile to China (2014-2017), to India (2003-2007) and to South Africa (1994-1999), and as a Cabinet Minister in the Chilean Government.
Evan A. Feigenbaum
Vice President for Studies
Evan A. Feigenbaum is vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he oversees work at its offices in Washington, New Delhi, and Singapore on a dynamic region encompassing both East Asia and South Asia. He served twice as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State and advised two Secretaries of State and a former Treasury Secretary on Asia.
Cynthia Sanborn
Director, Center for China and Asia-Pacific Studies, Universidad del Pacífico
Cynthia Sanborn is the director of the Center for China and Asia-Pacific Studies and professor in the Department of Social and Political Sciences at Universidad del Pacífico.
Omar Manky
Assistant Professor, Universidad del Pacífico
Omar Manky is an assistant professor of social sciences at the University of the Pacific and a researcher at the Center for China and Asia-Pacific Studies and the Research Center of the Universidad del Pacífico.
Juliana González Jáuregui
Principal Researcher, Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO)
Juliana González Jáuregui is an assistant researcher at Argentina’s National Scientific and Technical Research Council and a principal researcher at the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO).
Celio Hiratuka
Associate Professor, State University of Campinas
Celio Hiratuka is the director of the Institute of Economy and the coordinator of the Brazil China Study Group at the University of Campinas (UNICAMP).
Tin Hinane El-Kadi
Postdoctoral Researcher, Technology and Industrialisation for Development (TIDE) Centre, University of Oxford
Tin Hinane El Kadi is a political economy researcher and a postdoctoral researcher at the Technology and Industrialisation for Development (TIDE) Centre at the University of Oxford.