Economic security

Latin America: China's power play right under the U.S.

Chinese banks sent nearly $30 billion in loans to Latin American governments last year, more than double the amount from 2014. It's also more money than the World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank gave to the region last year combined, according to the Inter-American Dialogue, a non-profit in Washington.

There's more. China offered an additional $35 billion in funds that Latin American countries could access for infrastructure projects like roads, bridges and railways. Altogether, it's China's largest investment yet.

"What we're seeing is a proliferation of Chinese finance in Latin America," says Margaret Myers, a director at the Inter-American Dialogue.