Heine Reflects on the Growing Partnership Between Latin America and China
Jorge Heine, Research Professor at the Pardee School of Global Studies, appeared on CGTN Europe’s Global Business last week, where he expounded on why Latin American countries are prioritizing trade and diplomatic relations with China. Caught amid U.S.-China tensions, Latin America has emphasized that it wants “to do business with both” without being pressured to choose sides. The leadership in the region is doing so by embracing active non-alignment (ANA). In his recently published book, The Non-Aligned World: Striking Out in an Era of Great Power Competition (2025), Heine meticulously explores how the Global South (countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America) is increasingly adopting ANA in its foreign policy to weather this global rivalry.
Present at the first China-CELAC ministerial meeting that took place in Beijing in 2015, Heine has witnessed the “tremendous strides” this partnership made in the last 10 years. “Trade between China and Latin America has doubled to $519 billion” — demonstrating the fiscal impact of this alliance. It therefore comes as no surprise that China is currently South America’s leading trade ally.
“Five additional countries in the region have established diplomatic relations with China, 23 have joined the BRI, and eight have joined the Asian investment infrastructure bank. So, a lot of progress has been made.”
When asked about his thoughts on Colombia joining the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the professor said that this move by President Gustavo Petro sends a powerful message, hinting at the prioritization of national interests.
“His [President Gustavo Petro] commitment is basically to the energy transition, to move Colombia towards a green economy, and in that regard Chinese companies of course play a very significant role in e-mobility, and green hydrogen, and wind and solar energy. So, for Colombia today, China is a very important partner and his signing on to the BRI is an expression of that.”
The professor also spoke about how not just Chile or Latin America, but the entire Global South is keen to address serious issues related to climate change, drought, famine, mass migration, and international crime within their territories, often overlooked by developed countries.
Watch the complete interview here.
Professor Jorge Heine is an international relations expert, a lawyer, and a diplomat. He has served as an ambassador of Chile to China, India and South Africa, and as a Cabinet Minister in the Chilean Government. He has published 18 books including Latin American Foreign Policies in the New World Order: The Active Non-Alignment Option (co-authored with Carlos Fortin and Carlos Ominami), and written more than 100 journal articles and book chapters. He is currently a non-resident senior research fellow at the Centre for China and Globalization (CCG) in Beijing.