The Brewing Mexico-China Romance Set To Stir Tensions With The US
In the crook of Mexico’s elbow lies the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, the country’s skinniest strip of land where the Atlantic and Pacific are just 200 kilometers apart. Winds from the west power electricity-generating turbines, the lush soil supports lemon, mango and other crops, and it is the heart of a vibrant indigenous Zapotec culture. The brightly colored embroidered blouses and skirts, immortalized by Frida Kahlo, are still daily attire.
But it is also home to some of Mexico’s poorest communities. A powerful earthquake in 2017 caused devastation only four years after a hurricane pummeled the isthmus simultaneously from both shores. Now, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the front-runner in Mexico’s July 1 election, has his sights set on the gateway to Mexico’s deep south. He wants to revitalize a rail corridor across the isthmus that could act as a Panama Canal Lite, opening up a shortcut to the Atlantic.
The plan is by no means new: talk of reactivating a trade corridor here has swirled for decades. But Gerardo Esquivel, a Harvard-trained economist and development expert who is one of López Obrador’s economic advisers, sees China as a natural fit to make it happen. China is investing in “new Silk Road” trade corridors spanning 65 countries under its Belt and Road Initiative, as well as increasing investment in Latin America beyond its traditional focus on raw materials.