A few weeks ago, while travelling in Buenos Aires, I learned a new word: chino. I already knew its literal meaning – even a poor linguist like me could manage that – but in Argentina the word has taken on a second life. A chino is the neighbourhood mini-market run by Chinese migrants, most of whom are from Fujian or Guangdong province. Known for staying open late, these shops have become a fixture of urban life.
One afternoon, as an Argentine friend showed me around his neighbourhood in Palermo, we came across the opening of yet another
chino, this time noticeably larger and more upmarket. It felt like a small but telling sign:
China’s presence in Argentina is no longer marginal or exotic. It has become ordinary.
There is even a Chinatown. Barrio Chino lies a short distance north of Palermo and draws plenty of curious locals. Yet when I asked Argentines what they thought of Chinese people, their answers were strikingly consistent: “nice, hardworking, reliable”. Then came the qualifier “but they keep to themselves. We don’t really know them”.
Their impression of China followed a similar pattern: a rising global power, efficient and formidable – but distant. That perception, repeated again and again, says something important about
how China is seen in South America.
At the state level, relations between China and Argentina have deepened rapidly in the past two decades. China has become Argentina’s second-largest trading partner, after neighbouring Brazil. The trading pattern between the two countries is a familiar one: Argentina
exports raw materials such as soybeans, beef, corn and lithium, while China supplies manufactured goods including machinery, electronics and consumer products. Beijing has also provided large-scale financing for infrastructure projects, from railways to energy ventures, alongside
currency swap arrangements that help the Argentine government manage chronic US dollar shortages.
From Beijing’s perspective, Argentina is one of China’s most important partners in South America. This looks like a success story: trade is flourishing,
strategic resources are secured and diplomatic ties remain cordial. From the South American side, though, the picture is more ambivalent.
South China Morning Post
