Just as China is a new and unfamiliar player in Latin America, China’s policymakers seem to have little differentiated knowledge of the region. Studiesand documents from China typically include the Caribbean in their “broad brush approach” and diplomatic representatives are rotated through the region at a swift rate. The fact that only three of the 42 countries in the region published an official reply to China’s 2008 Policy Paper suggests that there is a long way to go towards integration and adequate response, either side of the Pacific.The purpose of this paper is to explore just how differentiated the understanding and strategic vision for Latin America is among China’s policy makers and representatives.