Odkaz orla a nabídka draka: Role Latinské Ameriky v rivalitě USA a Číny

The contemporary international system is undergoing a significant shift as US hegemony faces a growing challenge from China’s expanding influence, particularly in the Global South. This thesis examines the agency of Latin American states within this competition, focusing on Peru, Chile, and Argentina, and how they navigate relations with the two powers between 2015 and 2025. The theoretical framework builds on constructivism and adapts the push-pull framework from migration studies to International Relations. This captures how states interpret external influences in line with their specific historical experiences and state identities. The study describes a US push driven by historical interventionism, strategic inconsistency, and institutional skepticism. Secondly, it identifies a China pull based on an integrated development model, a policy of non-interference, and a shared South-South narrative. The thesis then aims to describe how, in line with these factors, Latin American states are pulled closer to China. Methodologically, it employs Critical Discourse Analysis to examine how these states frame their relationships with the US and China. The findings show that Peru has gravitated towards China, which aligns with its ambition to become a logistics hub and gateway to Asia. Chile has pursued a dual-track strategy, combining ideological alignment with the US and pragmatic economic cooperation with China, though ties with China have deepened over time at the expense of the US. Argentina displays an unstable trajectory shaped by domestic political change, with periods of closer alignment with China followed by shifts toward the US. The thesis concludes that the US is increasingly perceived as an inconsistent and unreliable partner. Alignment with China is driven less by ideology and more by shared Global South identity and economic opportunities.