For the third time in the past 10 years, migration flows from Central America to the United States have reached a crisis point at the southwest U.S. border. Most of these migrants are from the Northern Triangle countries of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. These countries each face significant governance issues, resulting in violence and stunted economic opportunities that lead many of their citizens to make the perilous journey north. As the Biden administration and Congress work to address the root causes of this crisis, they must also tackle its strategic implications. China’s growing activity in the Western Hemisphere threatens to undermine U.S. influence in the region and exacerbate the governance challenges facing the Northern Triangle. By bolstering economic ties in the region and focusing on improving governance, the U.S. can address the key drivers of the migration crisis, push back on the growing malign influence of the Chinese Communist Party in our hemisphere, and improve American economic competitiveness by creating alternative supply chains beyond the reach of Beijing.