The Chinese have diplomatic relations with 11 of 12 countries in South America. On October 25, Colombia and China agreed to enter into a strategic partnership. 


For China, this move bolsters their presence and influence in Latin America, giving them some political access and leverage closer to the territory of the United States. For Colombia, this move can help assuage their inflating trade deficit to China, which surpassed $8 billion last year. 


For an increasing number of states in the continent, a deeper diplomatic connection to China is as logical as it is appealing, purely on the basis of alleviating trade deficits as Argentina, Bolivia, Suriname, and Venezuela also possess trade deficits with China.