South America and East Asia: diversification of dependency?

MARÍA FLORENCIA RUBIOLO

Hacia una relación económica integral entre América Latina y Asia Pacifico

ALADI, CAF y CEPAL

Año: 2019; p. 241 - 261

Dependency is a central concept in South America?s foreign policy,particularly in terms of economic and commercial external policy. Countrieswithin the region have shown in the last two decades an increasing willto overcome dependency on few traditional powers through economicdiversification. It has led to a growing rapprochement to East Asia, mainlyunderpinned by the trade relation with China. The rapproachment hasgradually led to the construction of a new dependent relationship withthe Asian giant, also characterized by a concentration on low value-addedexports for South America, reproducing an inter-industrial and extractivistexport based model, undermining local industrialization processes.In this paper, we aim to analyze the bilateral relations of the main SouthAmerican economies ?Argentina, Brazil and Chile- with China and theirmajor ASEAN partners from the concepts of diversification, autonomy anddependency. Our goal is to understand the emergence of the dependentrelationship with Beijing and the consequences it might bring to SouthAmerica in terms of economic policy and development. On the other hand,we aim to explore the alternative scenario SEA countries constitute for abroader, less dependent and more symmetrical economic and politicalrelation with East Asia.