At the core of President-elect Donald Trump’s election platform were two promises: to stand up to China, and to bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States. A one-two punch of bogeyman and saviour. And on the latter policy at least, he seems to be succeeding. Before he has even been sworn in as president, Trump has claimed victory in securing a string of deals that keep or bring manufacturing jobs to the US.

Unfortunately for him, that success will directly undermine the first policy. Not only will Trump not contain China, but he will cede to it primacy in Latin America, a region dominated by the United States ever since the Spanish were turfed out in the 1820s.