How the U.S. Election May Influence China’s Engagement in the Americas

INSTITUTE OF THE AMERICAS U.S. Election May Influence China’s Engagement in the Americas

Election day in the United States is November 3, but, as news reports underscore, the election is well underway. Indeed, millions of Americans are taking advantage of COVID-19-induced early voting and increased vote-by-mail options. Turnout is on track to shatter records. The attention of the election and possible pivot point on November 4 provides an opportunity to contemplate the international relations-impacts, but particularly with regards to U.S.-Latin America-relations. Within that space there is also an important subtext of broader U.S.-China engagement - what many call an intensifying rivalry. Nowhere is this perhaps more interesting and important to understand than with regards to the energy sector in Latin America and the Caribbean. The Institute of the Americas and a team of UCSD and USD research interns has been analyzing and assessing the myriad issues, factors, geopolitics and commercial elements of this regional expression of the global competition between the United States and China as well as the overall Chinese engagement strategy on energy and natural resources in Latin America and why it is important. Our research and analysis will be reflected in a major policy paper we are publishing by the end of the year with the working title “China’s Latin America Engagement: Past, Present and Future.” But with the election in the U.S. rapidly approaching and the major foreign policy debate underway between the Trump administration and Biden campaign, we are pleased to publish this policy paper as a stand-alone document to further shape and inform the current discourse. Indeed, we deem it important as the campaign draws to a close to present a

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