A Comparative View of Chinese Relations with Peru

This chapter builds on the growing consensus among scholars that national and subnational dynamics in host countries matter to BRI projects and the different inflows of Chinese capital in general. By examining China’s investments in Peru’s extractives sector and a growing number of Chinese infrastructure projects, we illustrate host country agency when interacting with the Chinese state and its firms. Despite China’s overwhelming economic weight over countries in the Global South, host country actors have always mattered and play a role in shaping the progression or cancelation of deals with China. For instance, China’s failed participation in the construction of the Interoceanic Highway and the currently stagnant Amazon waterway project demonstrate that local actors and politics, as well as local concerns, can dissuade policymakers from including China as a participant or from moving forward after a deal has been signed. On the surface, China is seen as a powerful and influential actor, yet Chinese leaders and Chinese firms still have to negotiate and seek agreement from national and subnational leaders, agencies, and even communities in host countries. To strengthen these findings, we illustrate host country agency in other regions, examining Chinese projects in the Philippines, Zambia, and Pakistan.