Beattie Report on China / Latam / Caribbean

Q&A Jones & Beattie / China / Latam / Caribbean / Chinese President Xi Jinping is in Costa Rica today (Monday), in the midst of an official trip through Latin America and the Caribbean aimed at boosting trade links. But two analysts suggest the trip is partly in response to the U.S. pivot to the Asia-Pacific region. Mr. Xi arrived in San Jose Sunday following three days in the Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago, a first for a Chinese leader, where he met members of the regional economic group CARICOM. Mr. Xi visits Mexico Tuesday before holding talks with President Obama in California later this week. Mr. Xi's visit to Costa Rica also comes one month after President Obama was in the Central American country. Mark Jones is a Latin America analyst and political science department chair at Rice University in Texas. He spoke with VOA's Victor Beattie.