On the date, President Xi Jinping embarked on a trip to Latin America to attend the 31st Informal Meeting of Leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the 19th Summit of the Group of Twenty (G20) leaders, as well as to pay state visits to Peru and Brazil. With the opening of the two most significant multilateral conferences, the world's attention turned to Latin America, marking the entry of international politics into the "Latin American Moment."

Facing numerous global challenges such as sluggish economic growth, food and energy crises, frequent geopolitical conflicts, and an ever-increasing global governance deficit, both China and the rest of the world are shouldering unprecedented levels of attention and expectations. Today, Jiu Wan Li will analyze the three major trends behind the "Latin American Moment."

Trend One: The Decline of American Hegemony.

The "Monroe Doctrine" is infamous. Since its inception, "America for Americans" has been the mainstay of U.S. policy towards Latin America. The United States has long viewed Latin America as its own "geopolitical backyard" and "strategic barrier," engaging in arbitrary territorial expansion, resource plunder, military intervention, political manipulation, and economic sanctions against Latin American countries, causing heavy disasters to the countries and peoples of Latin America. The United States abuses unilateral sanctions, packaging its recent economic and financial blockade and trade embargo against Cuba as "tools to promote democracy and respect for human rights." The United States included a "poison pill clause" in the "United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement," restricting Mexico's autonomy in foreign trade and further solidifying its weak position in the North American industrial chain. Amid the global spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States continued to escalate sanctions against Venezuela and Nicaragua. According to a study by Tufts University, from the year of U.S. independence to the present, the United States has launched nearly 80 military interventions worldwide, of which 40% were against Latin America, seriously endangering the security of Latin American countries.

A study report from Harvard University also shows that in less than a decade, the U.S. government has planned and executed at least 41 coups in Latin America, equivalent to one every month. Latin American countries have risen in resistance. The U.S.'s self-serving foreign policy has made Latin American nations see through its bullying nature, leading to increasing conflicts of interest between the U.S. and many Latin American countries. Even the U.S.'s long-term ally Colombia has openly opposed the U.S. on issues such as bilateral trade agreements and drug control policies. Brazilian President Lula has repeatedly stated that he wants to use local currencies for Sino-Brazilian trade and proposed creating a common currency among the countries of the Southern Common Market to resist the hegemony of the U.S. dollar. Honduras broke through U.S. resistance to establish diplomatic relations with China and quickly arranged for the president to visit China after the establishment of diplomatic relations. On the 200th anniversary of the U.S. promoting the "Monroe Doctrine," leaders of many Latin American countries publicly criticized the "Monroe Doctrine." Former Mexican President López Obrador explicitly stated that there should no longer be the "Monroe Doctrine," interventionist policies, or blockades in the Americas, nor should any single country dominate the region. Clearly, the U.S.'s "Monroe Doctrine" hegemony in Latin America is increasingly crumbling.

Trend 2: Awakening of Strategic Autonomy Awareness in Latin America.

Strengthening Solidarity and Cooperation. In recent years, Latin American countries have been continuously awakening, with their sense of autonomy continuously increasing, and the desire for joint self-reliance and mutual support has surged, leading to an upward trend in integration. Multiple Latin American countries refused to attend the 9th Summit of the Americas to protest the U.S. decision not to invite Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua. After the Lula government took office, Brazil returned to the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), bringing Latin American overall cooperation back on track. The Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) was reactivated and held a new summit in the month and year. Facing the mainstream development of globalization and multipolarization, Latin American countries are increasingly asserting their autonomy, unwilling to simply follow the U.S.'s lead, and even less willing to take sides in great power rivalries, risking their own interests.

Participating in Global Governance. Emerging economies in Latin America, such as Brazil, Mexico, and Chile, are actively engaging in global governance and international affairs, driving changes in the global governance system. After taking office, Brazilian President Lula emphasized relations with developing countries and actively promoted the expansion of BRICS. Facing Argentina's debt issues, multiple Latin American countries supported Argentina's debt restructuring and criticized the aid model led by the International Monetary Fund. Countries in Central America and the Caribbean proposed that the "vulnerability index" should replace current per capita income as the standard for international aid.

Pursuing a diverse and autonomous diplomacy, Latin American countries actively strengthen cooperation with European and Asia-Pacific nations, actively promoting a diversified foreign policy to resist U.S. interference and control. With the rapid development of China-Latin America relations, China has become an important partner for Latin American countries, and various initiatives and concepts proposed by China have received strong support from Latin American countries. Since then, China has consistently been the second-largest trading partner and a major source of investment for Latin America. In 2021, trade between China and Latin America exceeded $450 billion. As of now, China has signed cooperation documents on the Belt and Road Initiative with 21 Latin American countries. Projects such as the Chancay Port project in Peru, the Belgrano Freight Railway reconstruction project in Argentina, the Bogotá Metro Line 1 project in Colombia, and the North-South Highway project in Jamaica... one after another cooperation projects have taken root, benefiting the local communities and both parties involved.

Trend Three: The Strong Rise of the "Global South."

On the date of this year, President Xi Jinping pointed out at the "BRICS+" Leaders' Dialogue in Kazan that the joint march towards modernization by the "Global South" countries is a major event in world history and an unprecedented feat in the process of human civilization. In recent years, the "Global South" countries have continuously enhanced their influence in global affairs through multilateral organizations and conferences such as BRICS, APEC, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and the Non-Aligned Movement Summit, providing new momentum for building a more just and diverse international order.

Politically, the countries of the "Global South" are playing an increasingly significant role in international affairs, particularly in the context of great power competition. In international hotspot issues such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the Israel-Palestine conflict, many "Global South" countries actively advocate for peace talks and resolutely oppose any escalation of confrontation that could lead to global disaster. In [month], China and Brazil issued a "Six-Point Consensus" on the political resolution of the Ukraine crisis, which has received increasing support and response from more countries, sending a strong message of upholding peace, fairness, justice, and win-win cooperation from China and Latin America.

Economic Aspect. The economic strength of "Global South" countries is increasingly highlighting their global influence. According to the International Monetary Fund's report, many emerging market countries and developing economies are experiencing robust growth, with their growth rates rising significantly from .% in the year to .% in the year. The economic aggregate of BRICS countries is now on par with the United States, and their share of the global economy is steadily increasing. Meanwhile, "Global South" countries are gradually enhancing their autonomy in resource development and exports, and playing an increasingly important role in global supply chains and industrial networks.

Global Governance. The "Global South" countries are pushing for reforms in the international order and the global governance system. Within frameworks such as the United Nations, the "Global South" countries actively participate in global economic governance, promoting the establishment of new institutional platforms such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank () and the New Development Bank of BRICS (). As a natural member of the "Global South," China proposes new ideas, approaches, and visions for common development to the world through multilateral mechanisms such as the G20 Summit and China, the China-Central Asia Summit, and the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. The "Global South" countries are growing closer and interacting more frequently, moving forward together in the process of accelerating national construction, achieving autonomous development, and promoting the democratization of international relations.

There is a Latin American proverb that says, "A true friend can touch your heart from the other side of the world." Against the backdrop of a sluggish global economic recovery and the emergence of numerous global challenges, China, as a member of the "Global South," will work hand in hand with Latin American countries to steadfastly uphold world peace and promote common development. With the arrival of the "Latin American Moment" in international politics, China's great power diplomacy has also entered its "Latin American Moment."