The BRI in South America

The People's Republic of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) loans and projects in South America cover a much broader spectrum of activities and occur in more significant amounts than in the Caribbean or Central America. In addition to traditional mining and agricultural projects, there is an increased focus on power, transport and other infrastructure projects. Recent deals also incorporate high-value activities such as 5G infrastructure, cloud computing, smartphones, electricity transmission and renewable energy surveillance technology. The rise of China's economic influence in South America dates to at least 2005. Brazil is not officially a BRI member. Therefore, the chapter's discussion focuses on the region's member countries, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile, Peru, Venezuela, Uruguay, and the most recent member, Argentina, which joined in February 2022.