From ports to lithium mines to diplomatic battles over Taiwan, China has spent two decades persistently building influence across Latin America and the Caribbean – one contract, one relationship, one chamber of commerce at a time.

Leland Lazarus’s new book – Dragon in the Americas: China’s Power, Presence, and Regional Influence – argues this isn’t simply a trade story.
It’s a long game, and China is getting more strategic and deliberate about how it plays it.

On the latest episode of the Trivium China Podcast, host Andrew Polk sits down with Leland – Founder and CEO of Lazarus Consulting and author of Dragon in the Americas – to unpack:

Why ports are the “lungs” of a country, and why 37 of them across Latin America and the Caribbean are now funded, financed, or operated by Chinese firms
Why the region’s own answer to the US-China rivalry mirrors an old Cold War approach from Barbados: “a friend to all, but a satellite of none”
The story behind the Panama Canal controversy, and why it’s just the most visible example of a much bigger pattern
How Chinese mining firms quietly bypassed national governments and went straight to local officials to lock up 60% of the world’s lithium reserves
Why Taiwan’s remaining diplomatic allies in the region matter so much, and how far China is willing to go to flip them
The darker edge of China’s presence in the region: Chinese criminal networks that have laundered an estimated $312 billion through the US financial system, with Latin America and the Caribbean becoming a central node

You won’t want to miss this wide-ranging discussion – and make sure to check out Leland’s book while you’re at it!

Ep 89 - Inside China's two-decade campaign to win over Latin America

The Trivium China Podcast

Ep 89 - Inside China's two-decade campaign to win over Latin America