China's Inroads in the Western Hemisphere

Oliver Stone is at it again. His new documentary, "South of the Border," blames the ills of the Western Hemisphere on the United States, global capitalism and corporate media. It's a tired line, but one that will fuel the debate about whether Latin America should seek political and economic alternatives to an overbearing and self-interested United States. Of course, as they say in politics, you can't beat something with nothing, which is why an increasing number of Latin America observers view with favor the possibility of closer Latin American ties with China. But China's emergence in the Americas is having far-reaching implications that may be little appreciated or understood.

China is a nation singularly pursuing economic growth as a means to maintain domestic political order. From 1979 to 2009, the country averaged 9.8% annual growth. Even in the worst global downturn since the Depression, China grew at 8.7% in 2009. As Europe teeters on the brink of another financial crisis and the United States struggles with high unemployment and sluggish growth, China has returned to its eye-popping pre-crisis growth rates.