China shores up Latin America ties.docx

China shores up Latin America ties.docx

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ChinashoresupLatinAmericaties

ChinashoresupLatinAmericaties:

ChinesebankingofficialsarelearningSpanishandPortugueseastheylooktoLatinAmericawithbigplansforexpandingbilateraltrade.

MarthaBrannigan

Nov.18--BurgeoningtradebetweenLatinAmericaandChinaisspurringChinesebankstostepuptheirfocusontheregion,apanelofrepresentativesfromthreeChinesebankssaidTuesday.

Thepanelists--speakingatthe43rdAnnualAssemblyoftheLatinAmericanFederationofBanks--toldalunchtimecrowdthatitisnaturalforbankerstopursueopportunitieswherebusinessisgrowing.

"Wefollowourcustomers,andourcustomersaregoingtoLatinAmericainabigway,"saidJohnD.Weinshank,seniorvicepresidentandheadoftradefinanceandcorporatebankingfortheNewYorkbranchofChinaConstructionBank,whichhesaidistheworld'ssecond-largestbankinmarketcapitalization.

Theconferenceofabout1,400LatinAmericanbankersfrom50countrieswrappedupTuesdayattheInterContinentalHotelindowntownMiami.

Languageandculturalbarriers,differencesinbusinesspracticesandstyles,andthesheergeographicdistanceareallobstaclestotradebetweenChinaandLatinAmerica,accordingtothepanelists.

'WENEEDEACHOTHER'

Still,themarketdynamicsarespawningfast-growingties.

"Weneedeachother:

ChinaneedsLatinAmericaandLatinAmericaneedsChina,"saidShiqinLi,whoheadstheNewYorkrepresentativeofficeofAgriculturalBankofChina.Shepredicted"averybrightfuture"betweenthetworegions.

Signsoftheshiftareclear:

ChinarecentlyeclipsedtheUnitedStatesasBrazil'stoptradingpartner.TheChinaDevelopmentBankrecentlyfinalizedanagreementtoprovide$10billionincredittoPetroleoBrasileiroS.A.,orPetrobras,Brazil'sgovernment-controlledoilgiant,whichhasambitiousplanstodevelophugeoffshoreoilreserves.

China'sdirectforeigninvestmentintheregionhasshotupaswellandisexpectedtokeepclimbing.

Themoderatorforthesession--YungChang"Jim"Ho,amanagingdirectoratWachoviaBank,whospecializesinChina--saidChinaistheworld'sthird-largesteconomybehindtheUnitedStatesandJapanandisontracktoovertaketheUnitedStatesinlessthan20years--perhapslessthan10years.

HosaidChina'sappetitefornaturalresourceshasfocuseditsgazeonLatinAmerica,whichisrichincommoditiesandagriculturalproducts.Atthesametime,Hosaid,"ChinaoffersLatinAmericaanalternativetotheUnitedStates"fortrade.

U.S.ONSIDELINES

TherewaslittleinthesessiontosuggestthattheUnitedStateshasmuchtogainfromthegrowingtiesbetweenChinaandLatinAmerica.

"EveniftheUnitedStatesmightnotliketoseethishappen,ChinawillbeNo.1inLatinAmericainthefuture,"saidFengLiu,firstvicepresidentandheadoftheletterofcreditdepartmentattheBankofChina'sNewYorkbranch.

ToseemoreofTheMiamiHeraldortosubscribetothenewspaper,goto.Copyright（c）2009,TheMiamiHeraldDistributedbyMcClatchy-TribuneInformationServices.Forreprints,emailtmsreprints@,call800-374-7985or847-635-6550,sendafaxto847-635-6968,orwritetoThePermissionsGroupInc.,1247MilwaukeeAve.,Suite303,Glenview,IL60025,USA.

Source:

MiamiHerald,The（FL）,Nov18,2009

Item:

2W63562543917

Iran,Russia,ChinabeatapathtoLatinAmerica'sdoor

Llana,SaraMiller,Downie,Andrew,ChristianScienceMonitor,08827729,4/23/2010

LatinAmericasuddenlyfindsitselfwithmanysuitors.

Inthesameweek,ChinesePresidentHuJintaowasinBrazilhammeringoutinvestmentdealsandRussianPresidentDmitryMedvedevwasinArgentina,takingthefirstsuchtripbyaRussianheadofstatebeforegoingontoBrazilforameetingofemergingworldeconomiesknowncollectivelyastheBRIC（Brazil,Russia,India,China）countries.

Andifthatweren'tenough,afterinkingamajormilitarydealwithBrazil,USSecretaryofDefenseRobertGatessetoffonhisownLatinAmericantour,strengtheningtieswithalliesandreferencingthebuddingfriendshipbetweenIran'spresident,MahmoudAhmadinejad,andtheregion.

LatinAmericaisnowoneofthemostpopularbellesoftheglobaleconomicball,withcountriesvyingforitscommoditiesandfriendship.Manysaythenewattentionisagoodthing.Ithashelpedbuoyseveraleconomiesevenduringtheworstoftheglobalfinancialcrisis.

ButtherearegrowingquestionsastowhetherChina'shugeappetiteforsoyandironore,Russia'svigoroussaleofweapons,orIran'ssearchforalliesintheWesternHemisphereisultimatelygoodfortheregion--andwhethertheUnitedStatesismissingout.

"OnedynamicwearebeginningtoseeisresourcecompetitionbetweenChinaandotherexternalpowersintheregion,whenweareusedtotheUStellingeveryonetokeeptheirhandsoffofLatinAmerica,"saysEvanEllis,aprofessorofnationalsecurityattheNationalDefenseUniversityinWashington."Thereisnewengagementintheregion,andtheemergenceofcompetitionbetweenmultipleoutsideplayers."

China,Russialeadrace

LeadingtheraceforcommoditiesisChina.Onthisvisit,andonaprevioustriptoBrazilin2004,PresidentHusoughttosecureaccesstorawmaterialscriticaltoChina'sgrowth.（HuwasalsosupposedtovisitVenezuelaandChilebutcuthistripshortafteramajorearthquakeinChina.）ChinabecameBrazil'sNo.1tradingpartnerin2009,takingthespotfromtheUS,withtradebetweenthetwosurgingfrom$6.7billionin2003to$36.1billionlastyear,accordingtoBraziliangovernmentfigures.

Meanwhile,Mr.Medvedev'svisittoArgentinatodiscussdealsonnuclearenergy,space,andtransportation,amongotherthings,cameasRussiaboostsarmssalestoVenezuelaandothersintheregion.Earlierthismonth,RussianPrimeMinisterVladimirPutinwasinVenezuelatodiscussaseriesofdealsthatcouldtop$5billion.

AndasRussiaandChinacompeteovermarkets,Iran'sMr.AhmadinejadisfindingawelcomeplatforminseveralcountriesinLatinAmerica.HisfriendshipwithBrazil'sPresidentLuizInácioLuladaSilva,whowillvisitTehraninMay,isparticularlyimportanttoAhmadinejadsincetheSouthAmericangiantsupportsIran'snuclearprogram.

GeopoliticalthreattoUS?

SecretaryofDefenseGatessoughttoplaydownfearsonatripthatincludedPeru,Colombia,andBarbados.GatessaidIran'sfriendshipsintheregionareonlyforshow."Thereisanelementofdistractingtheirownpopulationsfromthedifficultiesthattheyhaveby…tryingtostrutaroundtheworldstage,"hewasquotedassayingontheUSDefenseDepartmentwebsite.

ButifsuchalliancesinLatinAmericadon'trepresentageopoliticalthreattotheUS,theymayhighlightalostopportunityforUSbusiness."Domesticpolitics,historicalbaggage,andsensitivitiesbetweenLatinAmericaandtheUSreallystandinthewayoftheUStakingadvantageofopportunitiesintheregion,"saysMichaelShifter,thepresidentoftheInter-AmericanDialogueinWashington.AstheUSisstuckonissuessuchasenergy,immigration,andtrade,"ChinaandRussiaarecompletelyunburdenedbydomesticpoliticalconstraints."

Still,iftheUSismissingout,isalltheattentiongoodforLatinAmerica?

Economicgrowthengine

CountriesarebuyingarmstomodernizearmiesattherightpricefromRussia,butsomeworryaboutthedestabilizingeffectofan"armsrace"inLatinAmerica.Intermsofmarkets,saysChristopherSabatini,editorinchiefofAmericasQuarterlyinNewYork,LatinAmerica'spartnershipsaroundtheglobekeptitafloatduringtherecenteconomiccrisis.

"Theattentionisgoodbecauseitprovidesanengineofeconomicgrowth,"hesays.Theregionoverallisexpectedtogrowby4percentthisyear,hesays,and"alargepartofthathastodowithChina'srebound."

ButMr.Sabatiniandotherssayquestionsareemergingoverwhetherthisissimplytheeconomicimperialism--exploitingnationsforcheapcommodities--thattheUSwascondemnedforinthelastcentury."China,inthenameofbeingaleaderofthethird-worldmovement,issaying,'Hey,we'rehelpingyououtbybuyingyourcommodities,'andthentheyaresellingbackever-higher-valuemanufacturedgoods,"saysMr.Ellis.Itboostseconomiesintheshortterm,butkeepsthemvulnerableshouldcommoditypricesdrop.

RodrigoMaciel,executivesecretaryoftheBrazil-ChinaBusinessCouncil,saysthatBrazilmustwakeuptotheideathatChinahasamassiveinternalmarketthatis,sofar,notbeingtapped.

"Weonlysellprimarygoods,butthatisbecauseBrazildoesn'thaveastrategyforChina;wedon'tseeitasaconsumermarket,"Mr.Macielsays."Weneedtolearnmore."

Relatedstories:

InBrazil,HuJintaoaimsforbiggerpieceofLatinAmericatrade

WhyBrazilsignedamilitaryagreementwiththeUS

France'sSarkozywinstradedealinBrazil,supportathome

BySaraMillerLlana,StaffwriterandAndrewDownie,Correspondent

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TheNationalAutonomousUniversityofMexicohasbecomethefirsthigher-educationinstitutioninLatinAmericatocreateacenterdedicatedtoChinastudies.

Inauguratedthismonth,theChina-MexicoStudyCenter,knownasCechimex,wasconceivedbymembersoftheuniversity'seconomicsfaculty.Thecenterhasabout35foundingmembers,includingacademicsfromMexico,China,Europe,andtheUnitedStates,alongwithbusinessandgover