From a Washington to a Beijing Consensus? The demise of the US and the rise of China in Latin American regionalism

Abstract

This thesis aims to analyse the relationship between the Latin American detachment of the Washington Consensus and a growing role of China in the region and its regional cooperation initiatives. Moreover, it wants to clarify whether the Chinese entrance in Latin America over the past twenty years created a regional dependency on a new global power. Did Latin American regionalism shift from a Washington to a Beijing Consensus? To analyse this question this thesis consists of three different parts. Firstly, it focuses on the creation of the post-hegemonic regional initiatives in Latin America: UNASUR, ALBA and CELAC, and the consequences of the rejection of the neoliberal directives of Washington for successful regional cooperation. Secondly, it discusses the growing role of China in the global state system and the alternative development discourse it offered to the developing world. Lastly, it investigates the consequences of the Chinese entrance in Latin America and their growing role within Latin American multilateral frameworks. In summary, the original aim of the post-hegemonic initiatives, to prosper independent regional cooperation, was undermined by disagreement among its members and a growing economic dependency on China. This study therefore argues that to counter the creation of a new dependency under a Beijing Consensus Latin America needs to reduce Chinese influence on its multilateral initiatives and search for more unanimous regional cooperation.