PhD candidate at City University of Hong Kong. He holds two master's degrees, the first in Chinese Politics (L.L.M) Renmin University de China, and the second in International Relations from Universidad Federal de Santa Catarina (Brasil). Ricardo previously worked as a researcher at a think tank for five years and published on topics ranging from technology and new energy sources to China's relations with Latin America.
Research: “The political economy of Chinese investments in Latin America: the cases of lithium and electric vehicles in Argentina, Brazil and Chile“
Abstract:
This research examines FDI trends by Chinese companies in Argentina, Brazil and Chile, to analyze the possibility that Latin American countries integrate the China-led value chain in green energy as part of their development processes and industrial policies. Key results are preliminary, but we infer that there is a new phase of Chinese engagement in Latin America post-Covid, with a change in the FDI profile: 1) relevant investments are now made not only through state-owned enterprises, but increasingly by private companies; 2) Target sectors are slowly shifting from oil, gas and agriculture towards renewable energy sources, electric vehicles and mining of strategic minerals such as lithium and rare earths; 3) investment flows are smaller in total amount, but there are a greater number of projects in the region; 4) FDI projects are increasingly directed towards knowledge/technology-intensive sectors. There is also a gradual increase in greenfield investments as a mode of entry, compared to a predominance of mergers and acquisitions in the early and mid-2010s.
Visiting period: March – July 2025