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Trump hosts summit to challenge Beijing's influence
Former US President Donald Trump will convene leaders from eight Latin American and Caribbean nations on Saturday at his Florida golf resort for the inaugural Shield of the Americas Summit, a gathering aimed at reasserting Washington's strategic foothold in the region and curbing China's expanding economic and political reach.
China's decade-long advance
While US attention shifted elsewhere over the past ten years, China has become Latin America's largest lender and trading partner. Beijing has financed high-profile projects including Peru's $3.5 billion Chancay megaport and Colombia's Bogotá metro. From 2014 to 2023, China extended $153 billion in financial assistance-nearly triple the $50.7 billion the United States provided during the same period, according to AidData.
Trade between China and Latin America surged from less than 2% of the region's exports in 2000 to over $450 billion by 2021, with projections exceeding $700 billion by 2035, the Council on Foreign Relations reports.
Summit agenda and participants
Conservative leaders from Argentina, Paraguay, El Salvador, Chile, Panama, Honduras, Guyana, and Ecuador will attend. Notably absent are Colombia, Mexico, and Brazil. The Trump administration has framed the summit as an effort to "enlist and expand" US allies in the hemisphere and block Chinese military or strategic encroachment.
Kristi Noem, dismissed this week as Secretary of Homeland Security, will serve as special envoy. "In this new role, I will be able to build on the partnerships and national security expertise," Noem posted on X following her removal.
Evan Ellis, professor of Latin American studies at the US Army War College Strategic Studies Institute, anticipates discussions on drug trafficking, migration, counter-terrorism, and countering Beijing's influence. He likened the event to "a Latin American CPAC," referencing the annual Conservative Political Action Conference.
US strategy faces skepticism
Enrique Dussel Peters, coordinator of the Center for Chinese-Mexican Studies at Mexico's National Autonomous University, argues that Washington's response has been "late and reactive." He noted that US policies such as "America First," foreign-aid reductions, and tariffs have pushed regional governments closer to China, which has pursued a long-term strategic vision.
China has also deepened its presence through the Belt and Road Initiative, with 20 Latin American nations joining since 2013. State-owned banks have financed 138 infrastructure projects, including Brazil's Belo Monte transmission grid, Argentina's Kirchner-Cepernic hydroelectric dams, and the Espacio Lejano space station in Neuquén.
Economic leverage and risks
Beijing's investments are not altruistic. In May 2025, President Xi Jinping announced a 9 billion yuan credit line for the lithium-rich "triangle" spanning Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile, which holds 56% of global reserves. While Chinese loans are often seen as less conditional than US financing, critics warn of "debt traps" for vulnerable nations like Venezuela, which owes China $60 billion.
Environmental and labor standards among Chinese firms operating in the region have also drawn scrutiny. Concerns extend to national security, particularly over Beijing's control of critical infrastructure such as ports and energy grids.
Margaret Myers, managing director at Johns Hopkins University's Institute for America, China, and the Future of Global Affairs, observed that China is shifting toward smaller, less visible projects-5G networks, high-speed rail, electric vehicles, and data centers-to avoid backlash.
Balancing act for Latin America
Many regional governments are attempting to avoid overdependence on any single power. Facundo Robles, professor at Argentina's National Defense University, pointed to Brazil's strategy of maintaining deep trade ties with China while preserving cooperation with the US and Europe. "Argentina, beyond the rhetoric, attempts something similar," he said.
Trump is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on March 31. Robles cautioned that the region's best outcome would be diversified investment, while the worst would be a "toxic great-power competition" that limits options for smaller nations.
"Resisting China's advances requires US companies willing to invest in the region at scale as an alternative. The US needs to offer products and technologies that can compete on cost and features."
Evan Ellis, US Army War College
