The President of the United States, Joe Biden, is in Lima to participate in the meeting of leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC), in what represents his last international breakthrough before the transition of Republican power Donald Trump. This event raises concerns in the context of trade protection policies that may arise in the future.
In the context of the meeting, Biden's legacy was overshadowed by the presence of the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, who is also in Lima, receiving state honors in the Government Palace. This meeting reported Beijing's growing influence in the region, especially at a time when it was home to the new alcalde of a South American city, a project launched by a Chinese state enterprise.
A notable example of this dynamic is the Chacay megaport, an essential project for trade between Latin America and China, representing a $1,300 million Chinese inversion. In recent decades, China has surpassed the United States as the largest trading partner of many countries on the continent.
Biden has scheduled a meeting with Xi Jinping on the third and final day of his term. This forum represents much more than the city of world trade and brings together leaders from nations with diverse interests, including the United States, China, Australia, Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia and Chile.
The evening in Lima offers Biden the opportunity to maintain a trilateral dialogue with the new Japanese prime minister, Shuigeru Ishiba, and the South Korean president, Yoon Suk-yeol. Washington seeks to “institutionalize” this dialogue, seen by many as a strategy to reduce China's influence in global jurisdiction.
As the end of his term approaches, Biden will also meet with Peruvian President Dina Boluarte to appreciate her collaboration in the fight against drug trafficking and infrastructure development in the country.
However, this APEC group highlights the deep global expertise between China and the United States. Jake Sullivan, national security advisor, stressed that the inauguration of the Chacay megaport does not imply a decrease in Washington's influence on Latin America. Sullivan said the United States has reversed more than $6 billion in Peru, suggesting that the narrative that China has outpaced the United States in the region is incorrect.
Christopher Hernández-Roy, deputy director of the Americas program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), reported that China has established robust trade relationships through state-owned enterprises, while the United States must compete in the private capital space. Hernández-Roy said the country has underestimated China's penetration of the region in recent years, suggesting the United States should strengthen its ties with trading partners and share distribution resources to maintain its geopolitical position.
Biden's visit to Lima comes at a critical time, as Donald Trump has vowed to deploy protectionist policies to weaken the skills of China and other trading partners, seeking to protect key industries and spur domestic manufacturing.
Despite the tensions, Sullivan said he has made progress in stabilizing the geopolitical rivalry between Washington and Beijing during Biden's tenure. However, I understood that the United States continued vigorously with China, which indicates that the dynamics of global trade and international politics will follow if the complexes of the future come closer.
The APEC scene in Lima presents itself as a crucial scenario in which not only trade relations are defined, but also geopolitical strategies that could mark the pace of international interactions in future years. As the world's economies adapt to a changing environment, the ability of the United States and its connections to maintain significant influence in the region will be critical to their economic and political future.
