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As China seeks to grow its economy and increase its global influence, it is lending billions of dollars to help governments around the world fund big, expensive projects that otherwise would be out of reach in Asia, Africa and, notably, Latin America — which is next door to the US. That money could pay off politically, too, in the ongoing rivalry between Washington and Beijing.

Hong Kong-based reporter Rebecca Choong Wilkins discusses China’s global projects and what its leaders hope to accomplish through them. 

Jonathan Gilbert, a reporter based in Buenos Aires, describes what happens when China comes calling with lots of cash, and Dan Ten Kate, who oversees Bloomberg’s government coverage in Asia, explains why the US has been so slow to respond to China’s advances in the region.

Read: Chinese Manufacturers Get Around US Tariffs With Some Help From Mexico

This podcast  is produced by the Big Take Podcast team: Supervising Producer: Vicki Vergolina, Senior Producer: Kathryn Fink, Producers: Mo Barrow, Rebecca Chaisson, Michael Falero and Federica Romaniello, Associate Producers: Sam Gebauer and Zaynab Siddiqui. Sound Design/Engineers: Raphael Amsili and Gilda Garcia.

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