Which Sectors China Leads, and How

12.2%

China’s sectoral footprint, according to the perceptions collected, mirrors its global comparative advantages. Across the six countries, its participation is seen as most prominent in energy generation and mining (78% in each case), followed by infrastructure construction (53.7%) and energy transmission (46.3%). By contrast, its role in manufacturing (12.2%) is viewed as marginal, suggesting not only the region’s continued dependence on imported equipment but also the limited interest of Chinese companies in developing manufacturing capacity locally.

Although China’s presence shows common features across the region, the perceptions collected reveal marked differences in how it manifests in each country. In Brazil, interviewees describe China as integrated across all segments—from hydroelectric plants and transmission lines to electric vehicles and battery production—within a framework of institutional cooperation. In Argentina and Ecuador, its influence is seen as rooted in financing and turnkey delivery, substituting for domestic capital with limited capacity to fund and execute large‑scale projects. In Chile and Colombia, participation is viewed as more diversified but still decisive in technological terms, particularly in solar and transport electrification. In Peru, interviewees note that control over mining and electricity distribution could give China direct influence over the country’s energy base.

Taken together, these national trajectories point to a regional ecosystem of dependence in which China has become both a supplier and a creditor. The region’s transition could then depend on infrastructure built by China and Chinese-sourced technology and services, creating a single point of vulnerability shared by multiple countries.