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China, the EU and Latin America : current issues and future cooperation
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10 China theEUandLatinAmerica:CurrentIssuesandFutureCooperation SinoLatinAmericantradereached$100billionin2007 whichrepresentsmore thanadoublingoftradebetweentheregionanditsnewAsianpartner CEPAL 2008:151ff. IntherankingsofChinascumulativeforeigninvestmentLatinAmericahas reachedfifthplace butonlythreeLatin Americancountriesareamongthe twelvelargestrecipients:Peruatseven notleastduetotheprioritygivento ironproduction ), Mexicoatnine largelytheconsequenceoftheconstructionof aChinesetextileplant andBrazilattwelve.Overthecomingyearsbillionsof dollarsofChineseinvestmentareexpectedtobedirectedintovariousraw materials sectors:copper ChileandPeru ), ironandsteel Brazil ), nickel Cuba and aluminium Jamaica ), aswellastheenergyresourcesofcrudeoilandnaturalgas.In termsofagriculturalproducts Chinasforemostinterestsareinsoyabeansandin gainingaccesstoBrazilandArgentinaforChineseproducts CEPAL2008:152 ThedominanceoftheChineseresourcesecuritystrategyhasbroughtwithit anadditionalincentivetorestructurethecorrespondingsectorsinthecountries ofLatinAmerica atradenexusquitedifferentfromtheEuropeanone.Justas theexternaltradingentitiesfortheChinesesidearestateownedcompanies the leading Latin American operatorsin the raw materials sectors are also increasinglycompaniesthathavereturnedtostateownership.Thatmeansthat jointventuresaregenerallybasedoncooperationbetweenstaterunenterprises whichgivesthemadirectlypoliticalcharacter.Theoptionsforstatecontrolthat thisopensup andconverselytheeconomicvulnerabilityinvolved givethese venturesa directintergovernmentaldimension.The same appliesto the appropriationoftherespectivereturns.Thisisgristtothe millofdomestic clientelismandbilateraldiplomaticmachinations.Closelyassociatedwiththisis thequestionofthefuturedevelopmenttrajectoryofsuchcooperativeschemes becauseoncethe Chinahype hasdieddown theLatinAmericansidewillhave toachieveasubstantialdiversificationofexportproductsfortheChinesemarket ifitistoenjoyasecurefuture. Theverylimitedsuccesstodatein makingLatin Americaeconomically competitiveandthefactthatrentseekingisembeddedinthestructuresofthe state Boeckh2002 providessmallgroundsforhopeinthefuture.Whether SinoLatinAmericancooperationwilltakeonalongtermcharacterwillprobably dependdecisivelyontheextenttowhichLatinAmericasucceedsindiversifying theeconomicandpoliticalagendaandexpandingintofieldsoutsideraw material exports.If however itseffortsfail itwillhave missedyetanotherrare opportunity apreoccupationquiteprominentinEuropewithregardtoChinas activitiesintheregion.