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China, the EU and Latin America : current issues and future cooperation
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AFormatinSearchofSubstance AnOverviewofRelationsbetweentheEUandLatinAmericainaEuropeanPerspective 07 circlestheregionsidentificationas thewesternendoftheoccident isaccepted major groupswithinLatinAmericansocietiesarefiercelyopposedtodefiningLatinAmerica anditspeopleasasortofextensionofEurope.Forallthereasonsoutlinedabove LatinAmericansmeasuretheseriousnessofthesocalledstrategiccharacteroftheir relationstoEuropeonlyintermsofconcreteresults. 2.4 ANewCompetitorintheRegion:China SinceChineseleaderDengXiaopingextolledthe Pacificcentury whenhe metwiththenArgentinePresidentAlfonsínin1988 Xu2003:99 ), SinoLatin AmericanrelationshavebecomeamodelforSouthSouthcooperation.Although thevolumeoftradeonlygrewfrom USD1.3billiontoUSD1.8billionduring the1980s thepoliticalslantthathaddominatedChinasLatinAmericapolicy untilthengavewaytoa morestronglyeconomicorientation Mann2005: 139f. .Thephaseofindifference when Chinarestricteditselftoa weakly developedculturaldiplomacyandselectivecontactswithrevolutionaryforces wasover.However theoverridingimportanceofthe United Statesforthe AmericasasawholeimposedlimitsonanyexpansionoftheChinesepresence andthedominanceofauthoritarianregimesintheregionalsohinderedthe initiation of more comprehensive relations Mora1997a:94 .During the 1950s notleastundertheswayofUShegemonyoverthecontinent broad supportfor Taiwanhadbecomeestablishedin Latin America asaresultof whichdevelopingrelationswiththePeoplesRepublicofChinawasnotonthe agenda.FollowingtheCubanRevolutionof1959Chinapromisedthenewregime revolutionarysolidarity intheantiimperialiststruggle buttherelationship remainedinsular andastheCubancametoconcentrateontheSovietUnionas hisstrategicpartner evenCubadroppedoffChinasradar. Chinasgrowinginternationalrecognitionfollowingarapprochementwith WashingtonandadmissiontotheUnitedNationsin1971alsoreinvigoratedits relationswiththestatesofLatinAmerica.Since1970thePeoplesRepublicof Chinahasexpendedamassiveeffortonestablishingdiplomaticrelationswiththe countriesoftheregion.Chinesesupportincentralquestionsofinternationallaw anddiplomacysuited Latin Americanpoliticalinterests.Thisappliedtothe establishmentofthetwohundrednauticalmileexclusiveeconomiczone the transferofsovereigntyovertheCanalZonetothegovernmentofPanama and thebanonnuclearweaponsinLatinAmerica Mora1997b:42 .Tothatextent Chinas openingup whichbeganin1978 alsorepresentedaturningpointin relationswith Latin America inthesensethatitusheredintheexportled developmentoftheChineseeconomyandtheassociatedgrowingdependencyon