Check out the open access article to learn more about key moments and decisions, and to dig into the data (including some exciting maps)!

doi.org/10.1590/0034...

Why does this matter? Leaders do not only calculate material costs and benefits of their foreign policy – they also consider the symbolic costs and benefits.

On the other hand, the Fernández government saw it as a symbol of autonomy from the US and IMF, so they decided to join.

The Macri government perceived the BRI as contradictory to their notion of Argentina as a ‘Western’ country, so they didn’t join.

I show that Argentina’s BRI membership was less about financing for specific energy or transportation projects. Instead, it was about how the current leaders saw the country’s international identity.

Unfortunately the article is not open access, but I have 50 author’s free e-prints available here: www.tandfonline.com/eprint/SVGCB...

This research highlights the nuances in smaller state strategies and the importance of cross-regional research on approaches to great power competition.

Our 58 interviews show bridging results from 1) economic dependency on China, 2) commodity exporter lobbying to reinforce that dependency, and 3) high institutional capacity.

We argue no. 🇨🇱Chile and 🇺🇾Uruguay are bridging – not choosing a side, but maximizing the benefits of competition and seeking to be China’s ambassadors in Latin America.

Most states aren’t choosing a side in #USChinaCompetition. But are they all hedging?

Also very excited to announce I’ll be starting as a postdoc at the Princeton Program in Latin American Studies this fall and will be a Morgenthau fellow at the Notre Dame International Security Center next year!

Thanks to @kevinpgallagher.bsky.social @tboas.bsky.social @rosellacappella.bsky.social & Francisco Urdinez, and to the whole @bupolisci.bsky.social community for all of your support & guidance in the past five years!