Chinese investors have ramped up funding of Latin American companies, a move that comes as US military threats across the region strain ties with Washington.
Ant Group, the company founded by Chinese billionaire Jack Ma, last week invested in one of Latin America’s fastest growing start-ups, while Beijing-based financiers have recently funded two leading ventures in Mexico.
Washington has vowed to outmuscle China in the region, even as Beijing has spared no expense to become Latin America’s biggest trade partner.
However, Washington’s recent military strikes off the coast of Venezuela, and its threats of military interventions in Colombia and Mexico, have badly dented relations, a hawkish approach that risks pushing some nations closer to China’s sphere.
