China-Latin America and the Caribbean: Infrastructure, Connectivity, and Everyday Life

The conference is sponsored by the Asian Studies Center, the Center for Latin American Studies (University of Pittsburgh), and the Red Académica de América Latina y el Caribe sobre China.

Joseph Alter (Asian Studies Center at the University of Pittsburgh), James Cook (Asian Studies Center at the University of Pittsburgh), and Enrique Dussel Peters (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México and Red ALC-China) organized a remote conference for January 25-26, 2021, on the topic of "China-Latin America and the Caribbean: Infrastructure, Connectivity, and Everyday Life." 

Please visit the University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center's YouTube Channel to see recordings of the three sessions.


DAY 1: Monday, January 25, 2021 (all events are EST) 

9:00-9:15          Welcome Remarks (Ariel C. Armony — Vice Provost for Global Affairs and Director of the University Center for International Studies at the University of Pittsburgh) & Conference Inauguration (James Cook, Joseph Alter, and Enrique Dussel Peters)

Chinese Infrastructure Projects in Latin America and the Caribbean

9:15-9:25           Introduction to Chinese Infrastructure Projects by Enrique Dussel Peters (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México and Red ALC-China)

9:30-10:00         Keynote Address: José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs — former Assistant Director General and Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, International Labour Office, Former Minister of Foreign Trade of Costa Rica

10:00-10:15       Q&A

10:15-11:45       Session 1 Presentations:

  • Enrique Dussel Peters (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México and Red ALC-China): Infrastructure Projects in Latin America and the Caribbean (2000-2020)

  • Diana Castro Salgado (Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar): China in Ecuador: The Coca Codo Sinclair Hydroelectric Project

  • Yang Zhimin (Chief Researcher at ILAS-CASS): What 'ECU 911' Has Brought to Ecuador and China-Ecuador Cooperation

  • Niu Haibin (Shanghai Institutes for International Studies): China's Participation in Brazil's Infrastructure Sector: Approaches, Challenges, and Implications

11:45-12:30       Discussion and Q&A. Moderator: James Cook (University of Pittsburgh) // Discussant: Jevon Minto (Red ALC-China)

16:00-17:30       Session 2 Presentations:

  • Ravi Madhavan (University of Pittsburgh) and Thomas Rawski (University of Pittsburgh): China-Latin America Links in Advanced Technology Sectors: State Grid Investments and Strategies in Brazil

  • Jevon Minto (Red ALC-China): The Socioeconomic Impact of Chinese Infrastructure Investments in Jamaica: Evidence From a Major Infrastructure Development Project

  • Celio Hiratuka (Universidade Estadual de Campinas): Chinese Infrastructure Projects in Brazil: Assessment and Prospects

  • Omar Narrea Rivas (Universidad del Pacífico): From the Yangtze to the Amazon: Chinese Maritime Infrastructure Projects

17:30-18:15       Discussion and Q&A. Moderator: Joseph Alter (University of Pittsburgh) // Discussant: Enrique Dussel Peters (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México and Red ALC-China)

 


DAY 2: Tuesday, January 26, 2021 (all events are EST)

Chinese Immigration to Latin America and the Caribbean

9:00-9:10          Introduction to Chinese Immigration in Latin America & the Caribbean by Enrique Dussel Peters (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México and Red ALC-China)

9:10-9:40          Keynote AddressAriel C. Armony — Vice Provost for Global Affairs and Director of the University Center for International Studies at the University of Pittsburgh

9:40-10:00        Q&A

10:00-11:00      Session 3 Presentations:

  • Carol Chan (Universidad Academia de Humanismo Cristiano): Diverse and Shifting Everyday Experience of 'China in Chile'

  • Patricia Palma (Universidad de Tarapacá de Arica): Social Integration and Culinary Legacy: Chinese Immigration and Family Restaurants in Peru

11:00-11:30      Discussion and Q&A. Moderator: Enrique Dussel Peters (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México and Red ALC-China) // Discussant: Dr. Fredy González (Global Asian Studies and History, University of Illinois Chicago)

11:30-12:00      Closing remarks

Research Faculty

  • Joseph S. Alter
  • Enrique Dussel Peters
  • James Cook