China has been hard at work, aiming to dethrone the United States as the world’s premiere superpower. Most recently, the nation has focused its efforts on our own backyard in South America. 

From CBN. China is aggressively expanding its global influence, specifically through control of key shipping ports.

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It’s part of Beijing’s ongoing agenda to use economic, military, and infrastructure projects as leverage to overtake the United States as the world’s leading superpower. CBN News traveled to Brazil and Kenya for a closer look at China’s growing influence around the world.

What is clear from experts though is that China wants to dominate the high seas, and so far, it’s succeeding. Seven of the world’s largest shipping ports are in China, with the Port of Shanghai topping the list

It’s the ports outside of the country’s borders, though, that retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery tells CBN News concerns Washington and its allies the most. …

China’s growing network of ports now spans every ocean and continent.

Chinese companies – most owned by the Communist government – have spent billions building 129 ports in more than 50 countries, many along vital and strategic shipping lanes. …

Peru’s Chancay Port is Beijing’s latest mega-port project, inaugurated in November by China’s President Xi Jinping. …

At a cost of nearly four billion dollars, Chinese state-owned Cosco Shipping controls 60 percent of the port and states it will reduce shipping time between China and South America by 10 days. …

“This is absolutely crucial for China because China’s only hope right now to rescue its grim situation at home on the economy is to export more,” said Gordon Chang with the Gatestone Institute. “They realize that they’ve been shut out of developed markets like the U.S., Canada as well as European Union, so they need what they call the ‘Global South’ and South America is a really important part of that portion of the world.”

Today, China is South America’s largest trading partner and here in Brazil, the most populous and largest in the region, trade with Beijing surpasses the United States by a ratio of 2-to-1.

Bowman, who is the senior director of the Center on Military and Political Power at F.D.D., says America is dangerously losing influence in its own backyard with countries that were historically aligned with Washington. …

Military experts express concerns that China’s aggressive ownership of these international ports, might allow it to gain military leverage, such as eventually hosting Chinese naval assets. …

Montgomery says many ports operated by Cosco Shipping use a digital management software system called Logink to monitor ship and cargo movements.

That system is also government-owned.

“If the Chinese run your integrated management system for your ports, they’re going to have undue influence during a crisis or casualty when you are trying to move military supplies or parts and the Chinese have the ability rapidly disrupt your port operating systems,” said Montgomery. …

In 2013, President Xi launched China’s Belt and Road Initiative, also known as the New Silk Road.

Stretching from East Asia to Europe, Africa, and South America, China has spent more than a trillion dollars building roads, railways, power grids, ports, and more—all to gain influential international partnerships. …

Whether in Africa, South America, or Asia, experts say it’s clear China is on a mission to become the world’s leading superpower. …

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(Excerpt from CBN. Photo Credit: Arthur Wang on Unsplash)