China’s Use of the Military Instrument in Latin America: Not Yet the Biggest Stick

By
Cynthia Watson
April 16, 2013

China’s involvement in Latin America has grown steadily over the past decade but there are a number of constraints on the role of the People’s Liberation Army that prevents it from becoming the most important mechanism in expanding China’s role in Latin America. This paper discusses those constraints and the methods China’s military has used to engage with Latin America in the twenty-first century.