China switching gears on Latin America & the Global South

While experts cite "decline" as cause, China sees a different future

Jim and Sara Nuttle illustration from “America’s New Map”

OILPRICE.COM: Latin America: The Next Chapter in China’s Global Economic Strategy

Interesting story on how China’s Belt and Road Initiative is shifting its emphasis: enough with the investments, now for the exploitation. Most of the stories on this shift cite China’s slowing economy as reason enough, but the switchover had to happen sometime, ja?

Because that slowdown is happening, quite foreseeably, after China’s demographic dividend petered out, it seems logical whether or not the economy is slowing. China is done with sheer extensive growth (more inputs, more outputs, more investment in infrastructure) to more intensive growth (more tech, more efficiency, more investment in higher-end manufacturing).

So, as this piece points out:

China is investing in Latin America’s critical minerals, technology, renewable energy,  electric vehicles and high-end manufacturing sectors.

The goal, as described here, is to become the “global superpower in renewable energy for years, if not decades, to come.”