Over the past decade, China has significantly intensified its engagement with Latin America through trade, diplomacy, and South-South political cooperation initiatives, according to Hearn (U. of Sydney, Australia) and Manríquez (U. Autónoma Metropolitana, Mexico) who present 15 chapters assessing the causes and consequences of Sino-Latin American engagement. General issues addressed include the economic fundamentals the relationship, China as challenge to Latin American models of economic development, the response (or lack of response) of the Obama administration to China's growing influence in the region, and US perceptions of China's inroads in Latin America. Country studies are also presented that consider Sino-Latin American relations from the specific perspectives of Mexico, Chile, Cuba, Venezuela, Brazil, and Argentina. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com) Read Less