Heine Analyzes APEC Summit: Latin America’s Diplomatic Balancing Act
In a recent interview with the Latin America Advisor, Ambassador Jorge Heine, Research Professor at Boston University’s Pardee School of Global Studies, offers critical insights into the recent APEC summit in Lima and its implications for Latin America’s complex geopolitical positioning.
The summit highlighted Peru’s diplomatic prowess, with the opening of the $3.6 billion deep-water Port of Chancay demonstrating the country’s strategic focus on Asia-Pacific trade relations. Heine noted Peru’s unique position as one of only six countries globally with free trade agreements with both the United States and China, exemplifying an approach of active non-alignment.
A key moment came with the meeting between outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping, where they agreed on managing nuclear weapons independently from artificial intelligence. However, the summit also revealed tensions, particularly around future U.S. trade policies under the incoming Trump administration.
Heine critically pointed out the potential challenges, including a provocative statement from a former Trump administration official threatening a 60 percent tariff on goods from the new Chancay port—a move he characterized as counterproductive and seemingly designed to obstruct Latin America’s infrastructure development.
Heine’s analysis suggests a shifting global landscape where Latin American countries are strategically positioning themselves, balancing relationships between traditional and emerging global powers. The APEC summit emerged as a critical platform for these diplomatic negotiations, with China emerging as a proactive economic partner.
The broader implications point to a complex future for Latin American international relations, where economic survival and strategic positioning will require nuanced, flexible diplomatic approaches.
Ambassador Jorge Heine is a Research Professor at the Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University. He has served as ambassador of Chile to China (2014-2017), to India (2003-2007), and to South Africa (1994-1999), and as a Cabinet Minister in the Chilean Government. Read more about Ambassador Heine on his faculty profile.