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China, the EU and Latin America : current issues and future cooperation
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06 China theEUandLatinAmerica:CurrentIssuesandFutureCooperation misinterpretationofrecentchangesintheregiononthepartofEuropeans. Already ignoringtheknownlackofcoordination within Latin America the EuropeanUnionsuspectedthatthenegotiationswith Mercosurwereaclever movetoputNorth AmericaunderpressureintheFreeTradeAreaofthe Americas FTAA process and viceversa.Furthermore theprotracted negotiationsbetweenthe EU and Mercosur incontrasttothesuccessful associationagreementswith Mexicoin1997andChilein2002 demonstratein theeyesofLatin Americangovernmentsthatthebilateralapproachis more effective.The European emphasis on regionaland bloc negotiationsis not acceptedbythemajorityofLatinAmericancountries forseveralreasons.In response the Europeanshave forexample takenaparticularstance with regardtocountrieswhichhaveaspecificprofilewithregardtosize levelof incomeandroleininternationalpolitics declaringa strategicpartnership with Brasilia.ThemeetingofPresidentsattheEuroLatinAmericanLimaSummitin 2008 madeevidentthe EUsnew commitmentto Brazil which wasafforded prioritysinceitwasconsideredtobeastrategiccounterpartyfortheEUinthe bilateralsummitheldwithBrazilinLisbonon4July2007.Thisdecision which wassomewhatagainstthegrainoftheinterregionalapproachoftheEUitself hadinitiallyraised concernsin other Latin American countries such as Argentina particularlybecauseofEuropesinterestinboostingcooperationwith Brazilinthesphereofbiofuels.Thissituation whichinitiallywassomethingof acomplicationforothermembersofMERCOSUR hassofarhadnofurther impactonbiregionalrelations.Infact Brazilhashadtodirectallitsdiplomatic effortstowardsensuringthatitsinterestinpromotingbioethanolwasrespected byotherparticipants.Whilebiofuelswereinitiallyseenasaviablealternativetohelp achieveenergysecurity inthepastyearcriticism hasarisenin Europeand Latin Americawithregardtothesustainabilityofbiofuelproductionanditscompatibility withvarioussocialandenvironmentalstandards.SotheinitialdynamicoftheEuro Brazilianrelationhasbeenabating whereasacorrespondingstrategicpartnership agreementistobesignedwithMexico EuropeanCommission2008 FromthepointofviewofsomeLatinAmericancountriesalltheseelements showthattheEUisonlyveryslowlydrawingconclusionsfromitsanalysisofthe regionsheterogeneityandthenewpresenceofpowerssuchasChina Iranand Russia.Nevertheless LatinAmericarespondedtotheEuropeanregionalisation ideaanditsattendantrequirementsbycreatinginpart similar supranational regional institutions suchastheAndeanParliament.Fromtheirperspective however itisuptotheEuropeanstoreanimatethefreetradenegotiationswiththe regionandindoingsotofosterrealintegration.WhileinLatinAmericanintellectual