Other Foreign Actors and the Missing Counterweight

38.1%

China’s active presence does not imply the absence of other foreign participants. Western, multilateral and regional actors continue to play a significant role in several niches, particularly in renewable generation, financing and sustainability consulting. Interviewees most frequently associated non‑Chinese international partners with renewable energy projects (57.1%), green finance mechanisms (50%) and ESG or sustainability advisory services (45.2%). Their presence declines in more capital‑ or infrastructure‑intensive segments, such as transmission (38%) and storage technologies (12%).

According to the perceptions collected, this distribution reveals a functional division of labor. European and multilateral institutions are described as more influential in shaping norms, financing frameworks and environmental standards, whereas Chinese companies dominate the material and technological execution of projects. In this reading, Western engagement—especially European—would tend to shape the regulatory environment, while China configures the physical landscape.

Attitudes toward greater participation of non‑Chinese actors are mixed. More than half of interviewees (55%) expressed interest in greater involvement from other partners, while 40% did not consider it necessary. National patterns diverge. In Chile, where the system is already diversified, most viewed the entry of additional foreign actors as unnecessary. In Ecuador, however, there was a clear demand for diversification, with calls for greater participation by European and US companies to balance China’s influence. Argentina, Brazil and Peru showed divided views, whereas Colombia generally framed the issue as an opportunity for complementarity rather than competition.

Across the region, interviewees consistently pointed to the limited role of the United States. Despite its political influence in South America, U.S. presence in the energy transition is perceived as weak. Interviewees repeatedly contrasted the visibility of European—mainly Spanish and Italian—and Chinese actors with the relative absence of U.S. engagement, which in practice creates a competitive void at a moment when the region’s energy systems are being redefined.