How Economic Ties Shape Views of China: Ideology, Class, and Environmental Concerns in Latin America

ABSTRACT China's growing presence in Latin America has led to different patterns of economic engagement across the region, often reinforcing processes that sustain the countries' development models. Focusing on South America, this article examines how perceptions of China are influenced by political ideology in larger and more diverse economies, by perceived social class in market‐oriented nations, and by environmental and extractivist concerns in resource‐dependent countries. With data from the 2023 wave of the Latinobarometer, multivariate linear and generalized linear mixed models with interaction effects show that negative views of China among right‐wingers strengthen the effect of ideology in larger and more diverse economies such as Brazil, while upper class identification predicts significantly more positive views of China in market‐friendly Chile and Peru. Although not consistent across all models, the results also suggest a stronger relationship between positive views of China and the belief in sustainable growth in resource‐dependent countries, notably Ecuador. These findings underscore how economic structure and bilateral relations influence public opinion toward China, highlighting the role of domestic political discourse and social divisions in unequal democracies.