Energy trade, power relations, and environmental challenges in the sino-latin american relations

Abstract

China has experienced extensive economic and industrial growth, which consequently positioned the country as a global power. This was eventually strengthened by the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which has allowed China to expand its current and future energy demand in challenges such as improving their infrastructure and connectivity. Although the country has abundant reserves in coal and oil to last for more than twenty years (Mining, 2022), supply of diverse sources of energy is a complicated matter for the Chinese domestic and international agenda. The Chinese government’s need to diversify on energy sources has led to explore potential projects, and finance endeavors of both renewable and nonrenewable energy in Africa and Latin America. This is criticized by the Western world as a form of neo-colonization considering the asymmetry of economic and political relations of Chinese allies.