China Expands Infrastructure Influence Across Latin America, Faces Panama Port Lawsuit

China is rapidly expanding its strategic and economic influence across South America and the broader maritime domain, challenging U.S. interests. In South America, China has invested heavily in infrastructure projects like the deep-water Puerto Chancay port in Peru, which grants China critical access to regional resources and potential naval capabilities, while Colombia recently joined China's Belt and Road Initiative, marking a significant geopolitical shift away from past U.S. alliances. Militarily, the People’s Liberation Army Navy has grown substantially, now outnumbering the U.S. Navy, and is extending its operations beyond the first island chain in the Western Pacific, reflecting China's strategic shift toward 'far seas protection.' This maritime strategy is rooted in China’s continental identity, viewing ocean spaces as extensions of sovereign territory, contrasting with Western concepts of global commons and driving its insistence on special maritime privileges. Additionally, China and Russia are reportedly coordinating efforts to undermine governance legitimacy globally, with China also learning from the Ukraine conflict to inform its tactics. These developments underscore China’s integrated approach to economic, military, and geopolitical expansion, signaling a complex challenge to U.S. influence in the Western Hemisphere and Indo-Pacific regions.