MIAMI (AP) — New research shows that for the first time in 15 years, China’s two biggest policy banks made no new loans to Latin America in 2020. The data was collected by the Inter-American Dialogue group and Boston University. The slowdown in lending caps a multi-year slump and reflects a broader global pullback in lending by China amid the coronavirus pandemic. Even as lending has dried up trade between Latin America and China remains robust. China has also continued to assert influence in Washington’s backyard through the distribution of medical supplies and vaccines to fight COVID-19.
