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Redalyc.LATIN AMERICAN SILK ROAD: CHINA and the NICARAGUA CANAL Revista de Relaciones Internacionales, Estrategia y Seguridad ISSN: 1909-3063 [email protected] Universidad Militar Nueva Granada Colombia Turzi, Mariano LATIN AMERICAN SILK ROAD: CHINA AND THE NICARAGUA CANAL Revista de Relaciones Internacionales, Estrategia y Seguridad, vol. 12, núm. 2, julio- diciembre, 2017, pp. 163-178 Universidad Militar Nueva Granada Bogotá, Colombia Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=92751348008 How to cite Complete issue Scientific Information System More information about this article Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal Journal's homepage in redalyc.org Non-profit academic project, developed under the open access initiative REVISTA - Bogotá (Colombia) Vol. 12 N.° 2 - Julio-diciembre 163 rev.relac.int.estrateg.segur.11(1):163-178,2017 LATIN AMERICAN SILK ROAD: CHINA AND THE NICARAGUA CANAL* Mariano Turzi** Abstract The building of the Panama Canal by the US in 1914 proved definitively the ascent of the US to regional he- gemony. Shortly after, World War I would lead the US to global primacy. The canal was much more than the construction of a shipping route between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans; it meant that America was a power capable of and willing to reshaping the Western Hemi- sphere in its way to becoming a world power. A century later –in 2014- China announced it would begin a similar enterprise in Nicaragua. What are the geopolitical implications for Latin America? Is this sig- naling a more assertive Chinese foreign policy seeking – by ambition or by necessity– to challenge the US in the Western Hemisphere? Is this geographic reshaping also politically reflecting the emergence of a world power? Keywords: Latin America, China, United States, geo- http://dx.doi.org/10.18359/ries.2308 politics, Panama. Revista de Relaciones Internacionales, Estrategia y DOI: * 28 de noviembre de 2016 28 de noviembre 27 de octubre de 2016 27 de octubre Artículo surgido de los estudios del Centro de Investigación de la Uni- (2), 163-178. 26 de septiembre de 2016 26 de septiembre Turzi, M. (2017). La ruta de la sedalatinoamericana: China M. (2017). La ruta Turzi, 12 versidad Torcuato Di Tella, en el Programa de Estudios de Asia Pacífico. , ** Ph.D. International Studies, SAIS, Johns Hopkins University. Profesor Asistente, Universidad Torcuato Di Tella. Recibido: Evaluado: Aceptado: Referencia: y el Canal de Nicaragua. Seguridad Artículo de Reflexión Correo electrónico: [email protected] 164 REVISTA DE RELACIONES INTERNACIONALES, ESTRATEGIA Y SEGURIDAD LA RUTA DE LA SEDA LATINOAMERICANA: CHINA Y EL CANAL DE NICARAGUA Resumen La construcción del Canal de Panamá por los Estados Unidos en 1914 demostró de- finitivamente el ascenso de los EE.UU. a la hegemonía regional. Poco después, la Pri- mera Guerra Mundial conduciría a los Estados Unidos a la primacía mundial. El canal era mucho más que la construcción de una ruta marítima entre los océanos Atlántico y Pacífico; significaba que Estados Unidos era un poder capaz y dispuesto a reformar el hemisferio occidental en su camino para convertirse en una potencia mundial. Un siglo más tarde –en 2014– China anunció que comenzaría una empresa similar en Nicaragua. ¿Cuáles son las implicaciones geopolíticas para América Latina? ¿Está señalando una política exterior china más asertiva que busca –por ambición o por necesidad– desafiar a EEUU en el hemisferio occidental? ¿Es esta remodelación geográfica también refleja políticamente la aparición de una potencia mundial? Palabras clave: América Latina, China, Estados Unidos, geopolítica, Panamá. A ROTA DA SEDA LATINOAMERICANA: A CHINA E O CANAL DA NICARÁGUA Resumo A construção do Canal do Panamá pelos Estados Unidos em 1914 provou defi- nitivamente a ascensão dos EUA à hegemonia regional. Pouco depois, a Primeira Guerra Mundial levaria os EUA à primazia global. O canal era muito mais do que a construção de uma rota marítima entre os oceanos Atlântico e Pacífico, signi- ficava que a América era um poder capaz e disposto a remodelar o Hemisfério Ocidental em seu caminho para se tornar uma potência mundial. Um século mais tarde –em 2014– a China anunciou que começaria uma em- presa similar na Nicarágua. Quais são as implicações geopolíticas para a América Latina? Será que isso sinaliza uma política externa chinesa mais assertiva buscan- do –por ambição ou por necessidade– desafiar os EUA no Hemisfério Ociden- tal? Essa reformulação geográfica também reflete politicamente a emergência de uma potência mundial? Palavras-chave: América Latina, China, Estados Unidos, geopolítica, Panamá. LA RUTA DE LA SEDA LATINOAMERICANA: CHINA Y EL CANAL DE NICARAGUA REVISTA - Bogotá (Colombia) Vol. 12 N.° 2 - Julio-diciembre 165 Introduction second canal in Central America. The third section explores a geopolitical In 1914, the Panama Canal opened reading of the canal, illuminating as- its locks. In 2014, the Chinese com- pects that are not obvious or apparent pany HK Nicaraguan Canal Develop- when considering only the economic ment Investment Co Limited (HKND) point of view. The last section explo- announced that the construction of res the geoeconomic and geopolitical another canal across Nicaragua would reshaping of Latin America along an begin on December 22nd. It was much Atlantic and Pacific axis. As the rising more than the construction of a new US in 1904 reshaped the region along shipping route between the Atlantic the North-South divide, so is China and Pacific oceans. It was a signal of exerting a gravitational pull towards the emergence of a country with the the Pacific not just for countries in the capacity and the will to reshape geo- region but for the Latin American re- graphic realities according to political gion as a whole. necessity. The Panama Canal not only expanded international trade, it con- solidated regional hegemony in the History repeating? Western Hemisphere in America’s as- cending road to global primacy. Can In 1880, a private French company led the historical contrasts and parallels by Ferdinand de Lesseps -the builder between the Panama and Nicaragua of the Suez Canal in Egypt- began ex- canal building enterprises offer signi- cavating. American interest in a canal ficant and useful comparison for the dated at least as far back as 1850, when current state of international affairs? the United States and Great Britain ne- Is the Nicaragua canal’s geographic gotiated the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty to reshaping also politically reflecting the rein in rivalry over a proposed canal emergence of a new world power? Is through Nicaragua. The Hay-Paunce- it signaling a more assertive Chinese fote Treaty of 1901 abrogated Clayton- foreign policy seeking –by ambition Bulwer and licensed the US to build or by necessity– to challenge the US and manage its own canal. A canal in in the Western Hemisphere? Will the- Panama would have economic and re be geopolitical implications for US- military advantages for the US, but it Latin America relations? would also present potential vulnera- bilities if it were not under American The essay proposes four sections in or- control. De Lesseps project threatened der to answer this question. The first American dominance of the Western one is historical, explaining why the Hemisphere. President Hays reassured comparison on causes and effects of Congress that the “policy of this coun- the Panama and Nicaragua canals is try is a canal under American control.” sound and relevant. The second ex- Although de Lesseps was not acting plores the economic logic of building a on behalf of the French government, Mariano Turzi 166 REVISTA DE RELACIONES INTERNACIONALES, ESTRATEGIA Y SEGURIDAD many in Washington saw such foreign conversations with the Chinese on involvement as contrary to the Monroe Latin America? Nobody asks me that doctrine. After a scandalous bankrupt- question anymore. It’s now very ob- cy, the Compagnie Nouvelle du Canal vious why we have those conversa- de Panama was liquidated and taken tions”. Nevertheless, at present, there over by the United States. What began is no evidence to think that China is as a profit-seeking private enterprise or would be able or willing to exert ended as a governmental project pus- such level of control over any country hed forward by strategic geopolitical in the Western Hemisphere. This kind considerations? If HKND’s efforts in Ni- of diplomatic heavy handedness has caragua fail in a similar fashion, what not even been observable in its imme- –if any- will be the involvement of the diate sphere of influence. Moreover, Chinese government? Beijing is concerned that becoming a dominant player in Central American In 1902, the United States reached an affairs could galvanize anti-Chinese agreement to buy rights to the French interests in the United States to the canal property and equipment. A ne- detriment of the US-China bilateral gotiation then began for a treaty with relation. It seems unlikely Beijing will Colombia, for at the time Panama was jeopardize the bilateral relation with a province of Colombia. When the the US to gain a pyrrhic influence in Colombian Congress grew unforthco- Central America. It has been a corners- ming, the US government and Pana- tone of Chinese engagement with La- manian business interests collaborated tin America to demand the switching on a revolt. President Theodore Roo- of diplomatic recognition from Taipei sevelt dispatched warships to Panama to Beijing. Non-recognition of the City (on the Pacific) and Colón (on the Taiwanese government is a precondi- Atlantic) in support of Panamanian in- tion for conducting formal diplomatic dependence, achieved in November relations with the People’s Republic of 1903. The Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty China. It is also an implicit promise of of 1903 bequeathed the United States access to a wide portfolio of material rights to a Canal Zone in perpetuity. benefits. Of the seven Central Ameri- After one hundred years since cons- can countries, six –Belize, El Salvador, truction completion, the geopolitics of Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Western Hemisphere have been Panama- recognize Taiwan.
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