“Manual on Chinese environmental and social guidelines for foreign loans and investments” – September 2018

Most loans, direct investment and trade between China and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) have been channelled towards the extraction of natural resources, infrastructure and the exportation of commodities, which has caused tense environmental and social conflicts particularly related to the construction of hydroelectric dams, and the extraction of natural resources including minerals and petroleum.  The conflicts could grow throughout the next decades seeing as China, together with the governments in the region, has agreed on a series of long-term regional and bilateral agreements that prioritise cooperation in the sectors of infrastructure and the development of extractive projects; China has established a political and economic “roadmap” that is expressed in the Chinese Policies for LAC Document (2016), and the Plan “1+3+6” (2014) which presents the priority sectors and Chinese investment vehicles. Also, both China and the Latin American countries have signalled with enthusiasm their wish to incorporate LAC into the Chinese Road & Belt initiative.  However, the environmental and social implications of the Chinese funding have been practically absent in the cooperation agenda with LAC.  Today, the Chinese guidelines are only on paper.  For this to change, social organisations need to get to know them and demand their loyal implementation.  This Manual is a prime tool to be able to reach these goals.