During China’s President Xi Jinping most recent visit to the Latin American, he announced a renewed commitment to trade and investment throughout the Americas; by some accounts an estimated $250 billion in the next ten years. A project such as the proposed Nicaragua canal has raised critical questions about Chinese investments in Latin America.

A prominent Chinese businessman, Mr. Wang Jing, is planning to construct an interoceanic canal through Nicaragua. At four times the GDP of this Central American nation, this $40 billion project would provide shipping companies a compelling alternative to the Panama Canal.