In a session that combined academic assessment with analysis of global current affairs, the Millennium Nucleus Impacts of China in Latin America and the Caribbean (ICLAC) held its year-end activity on Friday, December 12, at the UC School of History, Geography, and Political Science.
ICLAC Director, Francisco Urdinez, opened the activity, highlighting the achievements reached since the project began three years ago. During this period, the Nucleus has consolidated a scientific community of excellence, resulting in 39 scientific publications (21 of them in Q1 quartile), the training of 22 young researchers, and the development of cutting-edge tools such as the Chinese Investment Map and the Public Opinion Monitor.
"The Nucleus ends with a renewal for three more years. It is a gesture of confidence from the National Research and Development Agency (ANID) that reinforces the work we have done and allows us to project ourselves until 2028", said Urdinez, thanking the support of the host universities that make this project possible: UC, UDP, U. de Chile, UTA, and UCN.
Analysis of Global Dispute and Regional Projections
The central activity featured the participation of Dra. Lok Siu, anthropologist and professor at the University of California, Berkeley, who delivered the keynote lecture “Geopolitical Stalemate: the Impacts of the US-China Standoff”. In her presentation, the expert analyzed the transition from an open economy globalization to a complex scenario of "economic security" and strategic confrontation. During her presentation, Siu reflected on how the rivalry between both powers redefines relations in Latin America, touching on sensitive topics such as control of critical minerals for energy transition, food security, and the use of political pressures that challenge the autonomy of countries in the region.
Following the lecture, a panel discussion took place with Carol Chan (Alternate Director of ICLAC), Johannes Rehner (ICLAC Researcher and Director of Geography at UC), and ICLAC's director Francisco Urdinez. In this session, the researchers delved deeper into the position of "neutrality" that countries like Chile and Brazil have attempted to maintain, while also observing how Chinese presence manifests beyond major infrastructure, permeating daily life through digital commerce and new consumption models.