A projeção chinesa no Cone Sul e seus desdobramentos para a hegemonia Norte-Americana

Abstract

The present work has as its theme the projection of China in the Southern Cone of America (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay) and the comparison of indicators between the United States and China in this region. The research problem is related to the historical influence of the United States on South American countries, with the guiding question being: can China's current insertion in the Southern Cone be seen as an indicatlon of the crisis of American hegemony? The hypothesis is that China's influence in the Southern Cone can be seen as a signal of the decline of American hegemony, as it transforms existing traditional relations. The main objective of this study is the analysis of indicators of the United States and China in the Southern Cone, addressing the dimensions of coercion, payment (economic gravitation), and cooptation, to determine to what extent U.S. influence has decreased and China's has increased. The justification for this study lies in the increased Chinese interest in the region since 2008, as well as the need to understand how the dynamics of International Relations are changing in the context of the rivalry between the U.S. and China. The research methodology adopts a hypothetical-deductive approach, a method of comparative historical procedure, and techniques of bibliographic and documentary research. The theoretical foundation is based on the use of systemic theories, such as Arrighi's Systemic Accumulation Cycles theory. From the analysis of the results, it was found that in all indicators, there was a change in power capacities, with China increasing significantly from 2009 to 2019. However, it was in economic and political capacities that these transformations were most significant.