India, Sept. 16 -- The second Donald Trump administration's National Security Strategy highlights "enlist and expand" as the US's primary strategy to engage with Latin American countries. This seeks to end external influence in the Western hemisphere and expand the US's footprint through political influence, security, and trade. Its early progress suggests a deliberate sequence.

The US is Latin America's largest trading partner. However, China is following suit, having surpassed the US in several South American countries in trade value over the last few years. Its expansion focused on critical minerals, infrastructure, and clean energy, grew from roughly $296 billion in 2020 to over $500 billion by 2024. Beijing reaffirmed this commitmen...