PRC-BRAZIL COLLABORATION IN RENEWABLE WIND ENERGY: A CASE STUDY OF INTERDEPENDENCIES THROUGH THE LENS OF LIBERAL INTERDEPENDENCE THEORY

Abstract

This paper examines the strategic collaboration between the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Brazil in the renewable wind energy sector. PRC’s strategic engagement with Brazil in renewable wind energy has significantly impacted global energy markets, enabling the PRC to expand its investment, technological exports, and geopolitical influence in wider Latin America (LA). This study addresses the concerns surrounding the PRC’s growing role in Brazil’s wind energy sector- including investments and control over renewable energy production. Guided by the theoretical framework of Liberal and Economic Interdependence, this paper aims to answer the research question of how the PRC’s renewable wind energy strategy in Brazil contributes to creating strategic dependencies and potential vulnerabilities associated with reliance on Chinese capital. Employing a qualitative methodology combining official document analysis, political discourse analysis, and expert interviews, this paper examines PRC’s official strategies, energy diplomacy, and security implications, as well as the political and economic motivations driving its investments, technological exchanges, and joint ventures. The study evaluates the prospects of mutual interdependence between PRC and Brazil and offers insights from international renewable wind energy experts on the geopolitical implications of PRC’s involvement in the global wind energy sector. Concluding that PRC’s strategic engagement drives collaboration and growth in Brazil’s wind energy sector, creating mutual interdependencies. However, these interdependencies are asymmetrical, resulting in greater dependencies for Brazil compared to the PRC. Despite this imbalance, the cooperation also fosters some dependencies for the PRC, albeit to a lesser extent. The study contributes to the understanding of Sino-Brazilian energy relations and offers insights into the geopolitical implications of PRC’s involvement in emerging renewable energy markets.