Heine Assesses China–Latin America Relations Amid Global Fragmentation
In a recent international affairs panel discussion for CGTN America’s The Heat, Ambassador Jorge Heine, former Research Professor at the Pardee School of Global Studies and Chilean ambassador to China, offered insight into China–Latin America relations amid growing global instability and heightened U.S. pressure in the Western Hemisphere. Heine underscored that China’s ties with South America are deeply rooted in trade and investment, noting that China has become the region’s leading trading partner, surpassing both the United States and Europe.
Heine cautioned against attempts to curtail China’s presence in the region through outdated geopolitical thinking. Referencing comments by China’s foreign minister, he warned that efforts to revive exclusivist doctrines are ill‑suited to contemporary global realities: “It is no good to try to impose 19th‑century schemes on the 21st century.” He emphasized that Latin America today is economically connected to the entire world and cannot realistically be confined to a narrow sphere of influence.
Turning to global governance, Heine highlighted the severity of the current crisis facing multilateral institutions, particularly the United Nations, which is grappling with deep budget cuts and declining political support. He stressed the importance of defending international law and collective frameworks at a time of rising unilateralism and conflict. “Interdependence is not a risk,” he argued. “Interdependence is a fact of the world we live in—and it has to be governed.”
Heine concluded by emphasizing that stability, predictability, and multilateral cooperation remain essential in an increasingly fragmented world. For Latin America, he suggested, maintaining sovereignty and autonomy while engaging constructively with a multipolar global system will be critical to navigating current geopolitical pressures.
The full interview can be viewed here.
A former research professor at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies, Jorge Heine is a diplomat, international relations scholar, and lawyer. He is currently a non-resident fellow at the Quincy Institute. He has served as an ambassador of Chile to China, India, and South Africa. Heine has written over fifteen books, including The Non-Aligned World: Striking Out in an Era of Great Power Competition (2025), which provides insights on how the Global South can navigate the changing diplomatic landscape amid the U.S.-China rivalry.