Tropical Agriculture, Scientific and Technological Cooperation, and Knowledge Transfer Between China and Latin America: The China–Ecuador Case

China has emerged as one of the most influential actors in South–South scientific cooperation, progressively integrating agricultural innovation, technology transfer, and sustainable development into its international engagement strategy, with tropical agriculture positioned as a strategic domain in its relations with Latin America. However, despite China’s growing role as a driver of agricultural research collaboration, the specific mechanisms through which its institutions transfer knowledge and strengthen local scientific capacities in the Latin American region remain insufficiently studied, particularly in the case of Ecuador. This study adopted a qualitative scoping review methodology following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, screening 9199 records across Scopus, Web of Science, and SciELO, of which 61 documents were retained for thematic analysis. Results show that Chinese cooperation has evolved through three distinct phases: an initial phase centered on agricultural investment and resource-oriented cooperation (2000–2010); a second phase (2010–2018) characterized by the initial institutionalization of scientific and technological cooperation through bilateral agreements, joint action plans, researcher training, and institutional exchanges; and a third phase (2018–present), marked by the deliberate integration of science, technology, and innovation as central pillars of China’s engagement with Latin America, including long-term collaborative research, joint laboratories, scientific networks, and initiatives led by institutions such as the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences (CATAS). In Ecuador, CATAS’s partnership with the National Institute of Agricultural Research (INIAP) illustrates China’s capacity to build joint research platforms, though sustained impact depends on long-term institutionalization, continuous financing, and transparent governance over genetic resources. The findings underscore China’s expanding support in shaping South–South agricultural cooperation and innovation, and the conditions required to translate this support force into durable, mutually beneficial scientific outcomes. From a public policy perspective, China and Ecuador could strengthen their international agricultural cooperation framework through long-term mechanisms supporting strategic scientific partnerships between the two countries, including multi-year joint research programs, dedicated funding instruments, researcher mobility, and institutional mechanisms for transparent governance of genetic resources and jointly generated intellectual property.