Pressing the Case
Canada's PM meets Xi for the first time in 8 years, a new Geely investment in Brazil, BRI SEZs in Nicaragua, and a CCP Museum Director talks party relations in Cuba
Good morning, and happy Thursday! After several years of hiatus, I’m returning to the original Chaufa page for the bi-weekly newsletter on the latest in China’s and Taiwan’s relationship with the Americas.
If you want to read my back issues with CPSI, you can find them here 👇
Today’s edition covers October 20 to November 3.
Quote of the day
“Perhaps China has the influence here because the US has not pressed its case here. As far as I’m aware, in all of my ministry’s interactions with the Chinese, there’s been no quid pro quo.”
Bahamas National Security Minister Wayne Munroe, per interview with an NBC News journalist in a report examining The Bahamas’ fight against human smuggling
This Week’s Top 5 Stories:
Signaling a desire to thaw nearly a decade in tense relations, Canadian Prime Minister Carney held a meeting with President Xi on the sidelines of the APEC Summit in South Korea. This marks the first meeting between a Canadian PM and Chinese President since 2017. The discussion prioritized reopening the Chinese market to Canadian agricultural products like canola oil and pork. The two sides also addressed multilateral cooperation and people-to-people ties. (FMPRC)
Carney’s policy to ease tensions with China comes as the Trump administration threatened new tariffs on Canadian goods to an Ontario advertisement campaign and Trump’s refusal to negotiate with Carney’s team. While Carney’s position on improving relations with China pre-dates recent U.S.-Canada tensions, the Trump administration’s position has likely hastened the urgency of the Sino-Canadian détente.
As part of the ongoing financial deal between Argentina and the United States, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is reportedly trying to leverage U.S. support for curbing “Beijing’s influence by encouraging Argentina’s leaders to strike deals with U.S. companies as a way to jump-start infrastructure projects and investments in key sectors such as telecommunications.” Relatedly, a Chinese-built radio telescope that was developed through a Sino-Argentine partnership is apparently delayed due to U.S. concerns.
It was previously reported that the United States was hoping to reduce Chinese influence in Argentina by pushing the country to end its currency swap arrangement with the People’s Bank of China. However, pressuring Argentina to limit its Chinese investments, especially in sectors like infrastructure and mining, marks a serious escalation in U.S.-Chinese competition in the country.
Following on BYD’s heels, Zhejiang Geely bought a 26.4% stake in Renault’s Brazilian subsidiary in order to gain access to the company’s industrial and commercial resources. Geely will also produce its own vehicles alongside Renault autos at the Ayrton Senna plant in São José dos Pinhais.
BYD often gets the headlines, but Geely closely trails the famous EV company as a Chinese auto powerhouse. In 2025, Geely was the second-largest seller of autos in China, just after BYD.
The Renault-Geely collaboration dates to a 2021 partnership in South Korea, while general cooperation in Brazil was announced in February 2025.
The Nicaraguan National Assembly passed a law on Special Economic Zones specifically related to China’s Belt and Road Initiative to try to induce more Chinese investments. The assembly also approved a $54 million loan from CCCC to finance a new wind power plant.
Since establishing formal diplomatic relations in 2021, the Ortega regime has swiftly sought to leverage its relationship with Beijing to support its authoritarian political project. Major investments and construction projects, such as bridges, airports, and energy plants, have become the cornerstone of the Sino-Nicaraguan relationship in recent years, and Managua has hastened these projects by bending the rules for PRC firms. Still, the flashiest proposed Chinese project – a bioceanic canal that would compete with Panama – shows no signs of coming to pass.
Cuba extradited Chinese cartel broker Zhi Dong Zhang, who had been implicated in the Chinese-Mexican fentanyl trade, back to Mexico. He had previously been under house arrest in Mexico, but had slipped under a wall to escape. After his return to Mexico, he then sent on to the United States for prosecution.
China is a key source of fentanyl precursors that are shipped to Mexico and eventually on to the United States, prompting many of the Trump (and Biden) administration’s concerns with both countries. Earlier this year, the Trump Administration imposed unprecedented tariffs on Mexico and China (and Canada!). This type of law enforcement cooperation will not fix the issue, but it could ease concerns.
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The roundup
Politics and Security
Li Zongyuan, Director General of the CCP’s Museum of History, met with Cuban President Díaz-Canel in Havana to discuss inter-party ties and China’s reform experience.
U.S. government documents show that Venezuela requested “expanded military cooperation” with China to counter “the escalation between the U.S. and Venezuela.”
Newly-elected Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz expressed his desire to strengthen bilateral relations and trade in a meeting with the Chinese ambassador.
Nicaragua’s government approved the PLAN medical ship, Ark Silk Road, to make a month’s-long stop at Corinth port starting on November 1 to provide medical services and trainings.
Chinese Ambassador Zheng met with the Chief of Staff of the Barbados Defense Force to review military exchanges and cooperation. (FMPRC)
Certain Ecuadorian National Assembly members who are part of the Sino-Ecuadorian Friendship Group met with the Chinese ambassador to discuss trade, infrastructure, agriculture, and cultural cooperation.
President Xi appointed Yang Shu as the next Ambassador to Grenada and Sun Xiangyang as the Ambassador to Ecuador. (Global Times) (Ecuador 221)
Investment, Finance, and Infrastructure
The Panama Canal Authority officially kicked off the process to select new operators for new terminals on either end of the canal. Both Chinese and non-Chinese companies are expected to participate in the process.
During a meeting with Ambassador Yang Yang, Guyanese President Ali reportedly invited more Chinese investment in the Caribbean country. Relatedly, labor minister Keoma Griffith met with Chinese Embassy trade counsellor Li Hanqing to discuss “expanding skills training opportunities.”
The town of Alberto Adriani is constructing a new solar project as part of a Sino-Venezuelan energy cooperation agreement.
Trade and Technology
Chinese soybean importers purchased 10 cargoes of Brazilian soybeans for December and another 10 for the spring after prices dropped due to the U.S.-China trade truce. The truce reportedly included Chinese purchase commitments for soybeans.
In the face of U.S. concerns about Chinese telecommunications equipment in friendly countries, one of Colombia’s largest telecommunications companies launched a new initiative to build a new optical network.
The Chilean Fruit Exporters Association signed an MOU with a Chongqing wholesale market to boost Chilean fruit exports to China.
The Venezuelan fishing ministry signed an agreement with a Chinese fishing vessel association on promoting joint projects in fisheries and aquaculture. (Telesur)
The 18th China-LAC Business Summit was held in Henan, with special participation by a Uruguayanmayor and several senior CCP leaders.
Taiwan
The Peruvian Ombudsman, Josué Gutiérrez, traveled to Taiwan for a series of meetings and invited Taiwanese officials to Peru. In response, the Chinese embassy issued a series of protests.
A new $700 million port in Kingston, St. Vincent was officially inaugurated on October 25. The project was partially funded by loans from Taiwan’s Export-Import Bank.
A tourism delegation from 12 Taiwanese travel agencies visited Belize to help jumpstart the Taiwanese-Belize travel industry. Meanwhile, Belize’s Minister of Constitution and Religious Affairs traveled to Taipei to discuss bilateral cooperation with Taiwan’s Foreign Minister.
The Taiwanese city of Taoyuan donated an ambulance to the Paraguayan capital city.
The Ladelin (Delcer) Women Farmers Association in Choiseul in St. Lucia received a donation of irrigation equipment from the Taiwan Technical Mission in the country.
Taiwan’s mission in Belize supported a cell phone repair workshop to “provide self-employment opportunities” to women and girls in the south of the country.
After Paraguayan legislator Hugo Meza called for exploring ties with Beijing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman called for Taiwan’s diplomatic partners to recognize the PRC. Later, the Taiwanese ambassador to Asuncion lamented that several Paraguayan lawmakers had recently traveled to the Mainland and called Taiwan a Chinese province.
Culture and society
The Chinese Foreign Ministry donated $28 million to Ecuador to strengthen economic revitalization and support local entrepreneurs.
The Chinese Ambassador to Tegucigalpa and the Honduran Foreign Minister signed an MOU on facilitating Chinese tourism groups.
The Chinese Red Cross donated thousands of emergency kits to Cuban families affected by Hurricane Melissa.
As part of its international tour, the National Ballet of China gave a masterclass in Mexico City to local ballet students. (Xinhua)
A delegation of Shanghai labor leaders traveled to Brazil to meet with their counterparts and to highlight Shanghai’s industrial transformation.
Analysis and opinion
Writing for La Prensa, Kleymer Baquedano reports on how local Honduran clothes and shoes makers are managing competition with a cheap flood of Chinese goods.
Leland Lazarus argues for Americas Quarterly that Taiwan “is reinforcing its partnerships in the hemisphere as China increases pressure ahead of upcoming elections.”
The Heritage Center published Steven Bucci’s op-ed about “the threat of Chinese investment in the Americas,” with extensive discussion of a Chinese construction project in Jamaica.
Madeline Craig-Scheckman wrote a paper for the National Bureau of Asian Research on the geopolitics of Peru’s Chancay port. At the same time, NBR published a paper by Hugh Harsono on China-Brazil ties and emerging technologies.