Latin American Studies in China: What Role in Foreign Policy Decisionmaking?

• In Event: The Evolution of Latin American Studies in Asia: New Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

Latin American Studies in China: What Role in Foreign Policy Decisionmaking?
The field of Latin American studies in China has grown at a considerable pace over the past decade. Several new centers for the study of the region were established in first and second-tier cities in recent years. Most major Chinese universities now feature courses on Latin America, in addition to Spanish and Portuguese language programs. China’s top think tanks boast a growing and increasingly well-versed cadre of Latin America experts. A proliferation of new books, journal editions, and articles has accompanied new growth in this field.

Our paper begins by documenting the emergence of Latin American studies in China, focusing in depth on recent movement in the field, such as the establishment of new centers and programs of study. Through systematic review of the literature on Latin America in China’s five top regional studies and International relations journals, we then determine the countries and topics that are most often referenced by China’s Latin America experts. We examine the extent to which China’s Latin America-focused academic literature influences or is influenced by higher-level foreign policy decision-making.

Author

• Margaret Myers, Inter-American Dialogue