ABSTRACT
This chapter characterizes the major elements of moments of change in the structure of the international system over the past two centuries in order to focus more sharply on the important features of the most recent systemic changes. It also examines key features of the changes in the international system in the twenty-first century. The structure of the international system turned sharply asymmetrical, to the benefit of a coalition led by the United States. China's economic rise helps to explain the wider room for maneuver in the international system and, the Latin American economic boom of the century's first decade and the consequent empowerment of Latin American states to carry out their preferred domestic and foreign policies. Massive Chinese imports increased the global demand and raised thereby the worldwide price of many commodities that Latin American countries exported. China's relations with Venezuela and Cuba provide some evidence that political-ideological objectives may play some role in Chinese trade policy.
