Dragon in the Americas | An Evening with Leland Lazarus

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Dragon in the Americas: China’s Power, Presence, and Regional Influence offers a sweeping, on-the-ground analysis of how China is reshaping Latin America and the Caribbean across trade, technology, security, and geopolitics--revealing growing strategic competition in the Western Hemisphere.

Drawing on original research, fieldwork, and policy experience, the book moves beyond simplistic “China threat” or “White Knight” development partner narratives to uncover a far more complex reality. It examines China’s effort to establish "strategic support points" via ports and the Panama Canal, digital infrastructure, space cooperation, critical minerals, and security partnerships, while also exposing the darker undercurrents of transnational crime and illicit finance. It also highlights the region as a key diplomatic battleground between China and Taiwan. Grounded in international relations and dependency theories, the book highlights how Beijing increasingly blends economic engagement with strategic ambition, even as Latin American and Caribbean countries exercise agency—balancing China, the United States, and their own development goals The result is a nuanced, data-driven framework for understanding power, dependency, and sovereignty in a rapidly evolving region.

This book is essential reading for policymakers, business leaders, and scholars of international relations, as well as anyone seeking to understand the future of U.S.–China competition and Latin America’s pivotal role within it.

Leland Lazarus is the Founder and CEO of Lazarus Consulting LLC, an international geopolitical risk firm specializing in U.S.-China relations and China’s engagement in the Western Hemisphere. A renowned expert on China-LatAm relations, he has testified before Congress multiple times about China’s national security threats in Latin America, and taught U.S.-China relations and Chinese foreign policy at Florida International University.

Lazarus served as the Special Assistant and Speechwriter to two four-star Commanders of U.S. Southern Command (Department of Defense), where he advised on SOUTHCOM’s counter-China strategy. He was also a State Department diplomat in China and the Caribbean, representing U.S. interests and telling America’s story overseas.

Lazarus is the President and Chair of the Fulbright Association, which represents 400,000 Fulbright alumni around the world. He holds affiliations with the Council on Foreign Relations Term Member, the National Committee on US-China Relations, and the Atlantic Council’s Global China Hub. His articles and commentary have appeared in NBC News, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Univision, Telemundo, The Miami Herald, Foreign Policy Magazine, and various international outlets.