Geoeconomia e smart power chinês na América do Sul: uma análise dos casos do Brasil, Argentina, Chile e Peru (2013-2024)

Abstract

The rise of the People's Republic of China (PRC) as a central actor in the international system has led to structural transformations in global power dynamics, including in South America. In this context, this paper aimed to investigate how the PRC employs the tools of geoeconomics and smart power to expand its influence in the region. The research methodology adopted a confrontation between theoretical frameworks and observed empirical reality, focusing on Chinese operations in four South American countries: Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and Peru. These cases were chosen due to their economic, political, and geographic significance on the continent, as well as the diversity of strategic sectors in which the PRC operates. The temporal scope covers the period from 2013 to 2024, with the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a global strategy for Chinese integration, as its starting point. The analysis revealed that Chinese operations in South America are structured within a state logic that strategically combines geoeconomic instruments, such as direct investment, financial statecraft, and asymmetric trade, with soft power tools, such as cultural diplomacy, technical cooperation, and the promotion of a shared development narrative. This combination characterizes the use of smart power, understood as the synergistic articulation of instruments of coercion and attraction to expand external influence. The study also highlighted significant geopolitical implications, such as the intensification of economic dependence, the loss of political autonomy, and the reshaping of spheres of influence in South America. The work offers a significant contribution to understanding Chinese strategies for international integration and their effects in the South American context, especially important for Brazil, which considers South America a priority area within its strategic environment.