INTERESSES CHINESES E ESTADUNIDENSES NO SETOR ENERGÉTICO BRASILEIRO: DO PETRÓLEO À TRANSIÇÃO ENERGÉTICA (2007-2021)
What drives American and Chinese energy companies to invest in Brazil's energy sector? How do these two nations' strategies relate to Brazil's energy resources? What obstacles must be addressed if Brazil means to benefit from this trend? This study explores how Brazil fits into the international political economy of energy considering the country's rise as a significant oil producer, the need for a transition to clean energy sources imposed by the environmental crisis, and the ongoing international conflict between China and the United States. Using the international political economy as the primary theoretical framework, we argue that the reasoning underlying the goals of US corporations is primarily driven by corporate interests, while investments by Chinese enterprises are guided by strategic state interests. Since access to oil resources outside of the United States is restricted, US companies must increase their reserves to meet their shareholders' needs and the declining output of oil wells. In addition to commercial interests, Chinese companies are drawn to the Brazilian market by national interests, placing Brazilian resources as strategic to their energy security.