MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay—Welcome to the People’s Republic of China, the name of a gleaming new elementary school in the rough outskirts of Uruguay’s capital, built as part of Beijing’s charm offensive in South America as U.S. influence in the region wanes. “It’s transformed this neighborhood,” said Laura Álvez , director of the school, a steel and glass structure where students take Mandarin classes and learn how to make mooncakes, traditional Chinese pastries. The poorest kids have never before been as far as the beach, which is 5 miles away, but they now dream of going to China, she said.

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Persons: It’s, ”, Laura Álvez Locations: MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay, People’s Republic of China, Uruguay’s, South America, China