Navigating Asymmetric Exchanges: Peru’s Negotiation of an FTA with China

• In Event: International Political Economy Virtual Poster Session

Abstract

Developing countries are not passive economic players. When interacting with a different array of economic actors, these countries have options and choices, such that the decisions they make depend on the conditions under which these alternatives are presented to them. Using the Sino-Peruvian economic relationship, I argue that a medium-sized country like Peru was successful in its negotiation of a bilateral trade agreement with China. Peru’s economic structure and policy development helped the country to respond to China’s demands while also requesting its own. The economic choices by Peruvian leaders were the reflection of past and current policies, as well as the institutions that emerged during the country’s reforms in the 1990s to implement new economic strategies.

Author

• Victoria Chonn-Ching, University of Southern California