China and the BRICS Development Bank: Legitimacy and Multilateralism in South–South Cooperation

In 2013 the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) grouping agreed to undertake what will, when implemented, become its most concrete project yet: the BRICS Development Bank (BDB). From the perspective of the Chinese government, which already leads a vast and far?reaching cooperation programme, the bank will not represent a significant addition to its cooperation portfolio. What, then, motivates China's participation in the initiative, and what can it bring to the table? This article analyses China's interests in the BDB in the light of its past experiences with development, at home and abroad. I argue that China's interests in backing the bank project are primarily political. In addition to offering a concrete opportunity to legitimise China's multilateralism strategy – burnishing China's image as a responsible yet pro?reform global player – the bank project also allows China to influence international development norms. At the same time, the project also poses challenges for China, especially in terms of promoting poverty alleviation without resorting to trickle?down assumptions about an infrastructure?focused approach to development

La creciente influencia de China en el Atlántico Sur

En la última década, el flujo de bienes, personas e ideas a través del Atlántico Sur ha aumentado considerablemente, no solo por los vínculos comerciales y de cooperación crecientes entre América del Sur y África, sino también por los nuevos intereses de potencias emergentes extrarregionales como la República Popular de China. Este artículo estudia el papel creciente de China en la región de acuerdo con tres dimensiones (económica, política y de seguridad) a la luz de la evolución de su estrategia en países en desarrollo; se incluye el papel de actores políticos no estatales, como empresas y comunidades de la diáspora. Se concluye que, a pesar de que el Gobierno chino no tiene aun una «política sobre el Atlántico Sur», la región ha adquirido una importancia estratégica para China. Por último, se destaca el renovado interés de China por la Antártida

Entrevista

Entrevista sobre o tema: Mulheres, relações internacionais e sua participação na área de Paz, Segurança e Defesa internacionais

China’s Cooperation in Latin America: Implications for Development Assistance

En el último decenio, la cooperación china en América Latina y el Caribe ha ganado fuerza, impulsada no solo por el comercio creciente, sino también por los vínculos políticos, tecnológicos, culturales y de seguridad que se han diversificado progresivamente. Si bien esta cooperación ha generado beneficios tangibles, también ha provocado nuevas dinámicas de competencia, incluso entre los actores involucrados en la asistencia para el desarrollo. Este artículo examina algunos de los impactos de la cooperación china, a partir de la investigación sobre los riesgos y oportunidades, tanto como las reacciones de los donantes respecto al involucramiento chino. Nuestro análisis destaca cuatro tendencias que se pueden intensificar debido al aumento de la cooperación china en la región: cambios de prioridades, desplazamiento de donantes, exclusión de la sociedad civil y fragmentación regional.Over the past decade, Chinese cooperation in Latin America and the Caribbean has gained momentum, propelled not only by growing trade, but also by increasingly diverse political, security, technological, and cultural ties. While this cooperation has brought tangible benefits, it has also generated new dynamics of competition, including among the actors involved in development assistance. This article examines some of the effects of Chinese cooperation, looking at the risks and opportunities as well as other donors’ reactions to China’s involvement. Our analysis highlights four key trends that may be intensified by an upsurge in Chinese cooperation: priority shifts, donor displacement, civil society exclusion, and regional fragmentation

Beyond ‘BRICS’: ten theses on South–South cooperation in the twenty-first century

Grounded in a review of past and present academic South–South cooperation literatures, this article advances ten theses that problematise empirical, theoretical, conceptual and methodological issues essential to discussions of South–South cooperation in the 21st century. This endeavour is motivated by the perceived undermining, especially in the contemporary Anglophone academic South–South cooperation literature, of the emancipatory potential historically associated with South–South cooperation. By drawing on the interventionist South–South cooperation agendas of ‘left’-leaning Latin America-Caribbean governments, the article seeks to establish a dialogue between social science theories and less ‘visible’ analyses from academic (semi)peripheries. The ten theses culminate in an exploration of the potential of South–South cooperation to promote ‘alternative’ development