This infographic, produced by Ruiyang Huang for the Inter-American Dialogue in 2018, shows Chinese investments in transport in Latin America and the Caribbean between 2002 and 2018.

The map shows all transport infrastructure projects with Chinese participation in the region, with a clear distinction between completed or under construction projects (in dark blue) and those that have been announced or are planned (in light blue). Ten categories can be identified in the legend: airports, bridges, bus terminals, canals, dredging, metro lines, ports, tunnels, railways and roads.

In the centre is the overview map, which is complemented by four detailed maps showing the regions with the highest density of projects: Central America (top left), Jamaica (top right), Bolivia (bottom left) and northern South America (bottom right).

Between 2002 and 2018, China's economic expansion in Latin America was significant. During this period, China went from being a modest investor in the region to becoming the first trading partner of several countries. Paraguay is the only country that does not show any investment. This is because in 2018 it still had diplomatic relations with Taiwan rather than China, which is why China excluded Paraguay from any investment.

Sources

• China's Transport Infrastructure Investment in LAC: Five Things to Know