Dependency in the Twenty-First Century?

This Element argues that it may be useful to revamp dependency to interpret China's new relationships with developing countries, including Latin America. It does so by discussing the dependency debates, reviewing the way dependency operated in the US-Latin American case, and analysing the growing Chinese presence within a dependency framework.

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The way external forces influence political and economic outcomes in developing countries is an ongoing concern of scholars and policymakers. In the 1970s and 1980s, dependency analysis was a popular way of approaching this topic, but it later fell into disrepute. This Element argues that it may be useful to revamp dependency to interpret China's new relationships with developing countries, including Latin America. Economic links with China have become important determinants of the region's development. Stallings discusses the dependency debates, reviews the way dependency operated in the US-Latin American case, and analyzes the growing Chinese presence within a dependency framework.