How Will China's Energy Sector Prominence Affect the Region?

In 2010, Chinese oil companies spent more than $15 billion on upstream deals in Latin America, including Sinopec's December acquisition of Occidental Petroleum's Argentine operations for $2.45 billion, and analysts expect that the trend will continue. What would be the effects of China's continued prominence in Latin America's oil and gas sectors? Which countries and companies in the region are Chinese investors most significantly interested in and how do they differ from other foreign companies' investment strategies? How will China's increasing profile in the region affect Latin American political and economic policies