Long neglected by the United States, Latin America is now on the frontlines of the global contest with China. Washington's new National Security Strategy made it clear that the U.S. must remain the unrivaled hegemonic power in the Western Hemisphere, something it can't do so long as China is the largest trading partner for most Latin American countries.

The U.S. is particularly unnerved by the scale of Chinese infrastructure development across the region and the fact that it's becoming a major investor, particularly in larger countries like Brazil.

Former Chilean ambassador to China Jorge Heine, now a non-resident fellow at the Quincy Institute, joins Eric to discuss why this competition is accelerating and whether "active non-alignment" remains a viable strategy in this new era of geopolitical competition.

📌 Topics Covered in this Episode

• The intensifying U.S.–China rivalry in Latin America
• Washington's push to block Chinese infrastructure projects
• Strategic battlegrounds: ports, telecom cables, and digital connectivity
• How Latin American countries are balancing competing pressures
• The concept of "active non-alignment" in today's geopolitical climate
• Why China remains an indispensable economic partner for the region

Join the Discussion:

X: @ChinaGSProject | @eric_olander

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The Cambodian government is leading a massive, unprecedented crackdown on the scamming business that once accounted for an estimated one-third of the country's GDP. For the past six months, heavily armed security forces have raided scam centers across the country and arrested more than 6,000 in the first couple months of the year.

The campaign began last fall when the United States issued a criminal indictment against Chen Zhi, a multi-billionaire Chinese national who built a vast empire in Cambodia that included a huge network of scam compounds that generated a staggering $30 million a day.

Huang Yan, a Chinese journalist based in Southeast Asia, is among a small group of international journalists covering every detail of the ongoing crackdown against scam centers. Huang joins Eric from Bangkok to discuss why the fall of Chen Zhi was so important and what it reveals about the outsized role that Chinese actors are playing in this saga.

📌 Topics Covered in this Episode

• Cambodia's scam crackdown: reality vs. narrative
• Chinese kingpins behind the networks
• Life inside scam compounds
• The Chen Zhi case and global pressure
• Why the industry persists
• Where the scams are moving next

Show Notes:

• Cambodia: Rain and Dust: The Rise and Fall of Chen Zhi by Huang Yan
• The New York Times: Why Cambodia Handed Over a Man Accused of Stealing Billions in Crypto Scam by Sui-Lee Wee

Join the Discussion:

X: @ChinaGSProject | @eric_olander

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YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ChinaGlobalSouth

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Follow CGSP in French and Spanish:

• French: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChine
• Spanish: www.chinalasamericas.com | @ChinaAmericas

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U.S., European, and Japanese leaders are all talking about the urgency of building new supply chains to end their reliance on China for critical minerals and batteries that will power next-generation mobility, technology, and weapons. It all sounds great and makes for good politics at home, but the reality is that China's dominance of these vital supply chains is so big and still growing that it will be nearly impossible to close the gap anytime soon.

Zeyi Yang, a senior writer covering technology and business at Wired, recently detailed this phenomenon in a cover article for the magazine about how "Chinese EV batteries are eating the world." Zeyi joins Eric to discuss why it's going to be so difficult for the rest of the world to match China's near-total dominance of this increasingly vital sector.

📌 Topics Covered in this Episode

• China's 80% dominance in EV batteries
• Why Chinese firms are expanding globally
• Key players like CATL, BYD, and Goshen
• Expansion into Europe and Southeast Asia
• Local tensions over the environment and labor
• Batteries as a strategic energy resource

Show Notes:

• Wired: Chinese EV Batteries Are Eating the World by Zeyi Yang: https://tinyurl.com/595hnzrh

Join the Discussion:

X: @ChinaGSProject | @eric_olander

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ChinaGlobalSouth

Now on Bluesky! Follow CGSP at @chinagsproject.bsky.social

Follow CGSP in French and Spanish:

• French: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChine
• Spanish: www.chinalasamericas.com | @ChinaAmericas

Join us on Patreon!
Become a CGSP Patreon member and get all sorts of cool stuff, including our Week in Review report, an invitation to join monthly Zoom calls with Eric & Cobus, and even an awesome new CGSP Podcast mug! www.patreon.com/chinaglobalsouth