This CRS Report discusses renewal of the peaceful nuclear cooperation agreement between the United States and the People's Republic of China (PRC). The current agreement was signed in 1985 and implemented in 1998. The agreement is set to expire on December 30, 2015, and a new agreement is expected to be submitted for congressional review in spring 2015.

Over the past year, increasing attention has focused on China’s growing interest in Latin America. Most analysts appear to agree that China’s primary interest in the region is to gain greater access to needed resources — such as oil, copper, and iron — through increased trade and investment. Some also believe Beijing’s additional goal is to isolate Taiwan by luring the 12 Latin American and Caribbean nations still maintaining diplomatic relations with Taiwan to shift their diplomatic recognition to China. Some analysts maintain that China’s involvement in the region could pose a future threat to U.S. influence. Others assert that China’s inroads in Latin America are marginal and likely to remain overwhelmed by the economic and geographic advantage of the U.S. market.