Why Latin America Is Becoming The 'New Great Game' Between The US And China

By Dr Aparaajita Pandey:As the US enters Ecuador, it has become clear since the beginning of this year that the world is going to see more US presence in Latin America than it has seen in the past decades. Latin American countries are gearing up for an eventual overwhelming presence of the US politically and praying that the interference does not evolve into a military intervention. This sort of American belligerence is not new for the region, however, it is important to study its components to speculate on its possible evolution with some accuracy.

The US looked at Latin America after independence and decided that it was theirs for the taking, calling it their 'Backyard' and consolidating that notion with the Monroe Doctrine in 1823, the US has essentially never let go of the idea of a Latin American region that was devoid of the US' intervention. The use of this term has fallen in and out of favour in Washington depending on who was in the white house and how they wanted themselves portrayed to keep their approval ratings up; however, in policy US has never left Latin America alone, intervening politically, gaining economic favour, effecting regime change, and also putting their men on the ground.

In the recent past however, US seemed too engrossed with their domestic priorities and other engagements around the world. the complacency of their constant dominance in the Latin American continent resulted in the diminishing of their constant presence. This vacuum was exploited by China before the US realised how much ground they had lost.

The Latin American region has invited contestation between US and the other formidable power of the era. The Spanish towards the end of colonisation, the Russians during the Cold War and more recently the Chinese. For all the US' rhetoric about Backyard, and the Americas being a cohesive unit; US has had to constantly compete for supremacy not with the countries from the region, but with powers from the old world.

The outcome is the beginning of a new 'Great Game' in Latin America, one that echoes earlier imperial rivalries but is contested through trade, infrastructure, finance, and technology rather than absolute takeover. Here, the United States seeks to sustain hemispheric supremacy, while China is increasingly growing its economic and political presence.

The Persistence of the American Backyard

The intellectual footing of US strategy in Latin America goes back to the Monroe Doctrine, which cautioned powers against interference in the Western Hemisphere. Although initially outlined as a defensive principle, the doctrine quickly progressed into a explanation for US intervention across the region. By the early twentieth century, the Roosevelt Corollary had successfully converted the doctrine into an authorisation for intervention.

Throughout the twentieth century, the US continually acted to maintain its hemispheric sphere of influence. From the overthrowing governments in Guatemala (1954) and Chile (1973) to military interventions in Grenada and Panama, the United States demonstrated its inclination to direct political results in Latin America when it perceived its strategic interests to be at stake.

The Cold War furthered this approach. Latin America turned into a battlefield for the global ideological race between capitalism and communism, and Washington worked ruthlessly to inhibit the rise of Soviet-aligned governments in the region. The Cuban Revolution of 1959, and the successive missile crisis, bolstered the belief in the Capitol that rival powers could not be permitted a to have a strategic foothold in their backyard.

China's Quiet Entry into the Hemisphere

In the recent past, Beijing has exponentially expanded its presence across Latin America, transmuting the region into an arena of global economic competition.

China is one of the largest trading partners for numerous Latin American nations, including Brazil, Chile, and Peru. Chinese investment has flooded the energy, mining, agriculture, telecommunications, and infrastructure sectors the region. Since the early 2000s, Chinese policy banks and state-owned enterprises have funded projects worth billions of dollars in Latin America.

China has taken a primarily geoeconomic approach to finding its footing in the region, unlike previous powers that focused on military alliances. Infrastructure projects became a part of the Belt and Road Initiative, investments in strategic minerals such as lithium and copper, and sponsoring of energy projects have forged deep economic ties between China and Latin American countries.

This expanding presence has geopolitical implications. For most of the twentieth century, Latin American economies were overwhelmingly incorporated with the US. China's rise has helped Latin America find an alternative economic partner; thereby also allowing itself to have greater, greater strategic autonomy.

Latin America as a Proxy Theatre of Competition

From the USs perspective, China's expanding influence in Latin America raises worrying strategic concerns. U.S. views Chinese infrastructure projects, telecommunications networks, and port investments through a threat perception lens. Economic cooperation presented by Beijing starts to look like a subtle takeover from the US' perspective.

This perception has supported a revival of hemispheric strategy in U.S. policy. US has sought to improve economic ties with regional partners, expand security cooperation, and offset Chinese investment in critical infrastructure and technology sectors. Minerals, ports, telecommunication, critical infrastructure, and diplomatic ties; US sees all these as sectors infiltrated into and then dominated by China.

Historical Echoes of the Great Game

This emerging contest has parallels in history. In the nineteenth century, Britain and Russia were the players of the proverbial 'Great Game' for influence across Central Asia. Both powers sought to control buffer zones and peripheral regions to protect their strategic interests.

The United States and China in Latin America follow a similar pattern. The US views the hemisphere as their domain and its role is to act like a strategic buffer essential for its security. Beijing, however, sees the region as a critical frontier for economic expansion and global influence.

There are also echoes of the Cold War when Latin America frequently acted as a platform for superpower rivalry, with domestic politico – economic conflicts linked with the greater ideological struggle between US and USSR. It is important to mention that the competition between the United States and China is less ideological and more economic and strategic.

The Limits of American Primacy

Despite the persistence of hemispheric thinking in Washington, the geopolitical landscape of Latin America has fundamentally changed. The United States no longer enjoys uncontested dominance in the region.

China's economic presence is now deeply embedded, and many Latin American government view engagement with Beijing as an opportunity rather than a threat. For countries seeking infrastructure investment, export markets, and development financing, China offers resources that the United States has often been reluctant to provide.

Moreover, Latin American states themselves are increasingly pursuing strategies of diversification and autonomy. Rather than choosing between Washington and Beijing, many governments seek to balance relations with both powers.

This reality limits the effectiveness of any attempt to restore a traditional sphere of influence.

(Dr Aparaajita Pandey is a professor at Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies at the Amity University, NOIDA)

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not reflect the views or stance of the organization. The organization assumes no responsibility for the content shared.

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