China-Latin America and the Caribbean: Assessment and Outlook by Thierry Kellner & Sophie Wintgens

Author:Thierry Kellner & Sophie Wintgens [Kellner, Thierry & Wintgens, Sophie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Political Science, International Relations, General, World, Asian, Caribbean & Latin American
ISBN: 9781000384703
Google: gJYiEAAAQBAJ
Goodreads: 55995101
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2021-05-03T07:04:20+00:00

8

The triangular relation between China, the United States and Venezuela

Ana Soliz de Stange

Introduction

During the last decades, the growing economic and political presence of China in Venezuela has raised concerns among officials in the United States on its possible implications for the US interests. The US concerns are not inaccurate when we consider that the relationship between China, the United States and Venezuela may be characterized as “triangular”. Moreover, we argue that their relationship has been synchronized.1 This means that the relation between two of the countries affects the third one and vice-versa in a process of almost simultaneous responses. In this chapter, we are going to analyse the synchronization process between China, the United States and Venezuela, from 2000 to 2016.

In 2001, Jiang Zemin, President of China, visited Argentina, Chile, Cuba, Uruguay and Venezuela. At that time, nobody could have predicted the Chinese approach to Venezuela within 15 years. Venezuela would become the most important recipient of loans in Latin America2; China has become the second largest market for Venezuelan oil, and as a result, Caracas has become highly dependent on Beijing economically. In Venezuela, the Chinese advances in lending, trade and investments have been accompanied by its renewed political and diplomatic overtures.

China has deepened its political and diplomatic engagement with countries that were considered of strategic value for Chinese interests. Initially, in 2001, Venezuela and China agreed to establish a strategic partnership to commence regular cooperation in energy and agricultural exchange. China started to invest in oil production and infrastructure in Venezuela, as well as installed experimental farms to increase agriculture production. Despite their limited areas of cooperation and almost non-existent trade in 2001, they still created a high-level commission that permanently coordinates their joint projects. Venezuela was the first partner in Latin America that established a high-level bilateral commission with China, as an ad hoc diplomatic channel for communication and coordination.

China’s engagement in Latin America in general, and in Venezuela in particular, revived the idea that the great power in its own region observes, with some apprehension, the presence and potential influences of an extra-regional power.3 For instance, General Bantz J. Craddock,4 and General John Kelly,5 both former Commander of the US Army’s Southern Command, and Hillary Clinton,6 referred to the long-term goals of China in the region, looking for natural resources and political influence. Rex Tillerson,7 Secretary of State, warns about the Chinese expansion as a “new imperial power” in Latin America. Moreover, Mike Pompeo, Secretary of State, expressed concerns on the role of China in Venezuela’s crisis: “China’s bankrolling of regime helped precipitate and prolong the crisis in that country”.8

This chapter is divided into four sections. It begins by briefly reviewing what we understand as triangular relations and synchronization. The second section is an analysis of China’s economic advances in Venezuela and the economic triangle with the United States. Section three presents these triangular relations in political and strategic aspects. The last section presents the final considerations.

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