Eleventh Global Studies Conference

Abstract

Chinese economic interest in Latin America has skyrocketed over the past twenty years. This paper will explore the contemporary economic relationship between Cuba and China and its unique political and economic implications for both countries. Cuba is seeking international investment with increasing urgency given the ongoing economic crisis in long-time ally Venezuela and the reversal in U.S. policy towards Cuba. Increased investment inflows from China could improve Cuba’s possibilities for growth in the context of prolonged stagnation and increasing inequality, potentially shoring up the stability of the Cuban regime. Chinese investment may also portend pressure on Cuba in the form of pressure to follow in China’s “reform and opening-up” footsteps, at a particularly sensitive time for Cuba as the country moves into a post-Castro era. Moreover, close economic ties could further strengthen growing Chinese influence in the Americas. By analyzing contemporary investment flows between the Cuba and China, this paper sheds light on the relationship between these single-party communist states and their place in the international system.