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China, the EU and Latin America : current issues and future cooperation
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52 China theEUandLatinAmerica:CurrentIssuesandFutureCooperation infrastructure. Finally keepingtheoilsectoropenisstilla mainstream policyin Latin America. This policy orientation should not only eliminate Chinese oil companiesconcernsaboutpolicyuncertainty butalsoprovideafavourable investmentenvironmentfor Chinese capital.During the period 20052007 Venezuela EcuadorandBoliviaadjustedtheiroilandgaspolicies increasing theirstateownedoilcompaniessharesinjointventures.Infact thesethree countriesconfinedthemselvestoreasonablemeasurestostrengthencontrolover nationaloilresources.However insomepartsofthemediaandacademiathese policychangeshavebeen misinterpreted soundingthealarmthatleftwing governmentshavetakenradicalactiontonationaliseoilandgas.Ifanalysed properly thesepoliciesmakeitclearthatthesegovernmentshavenotrenounced theiropenpolicyintheenergysector. AsfarasBrazil Mexico ColombiaandPeruareconcerned theyhave maintainedastableenergycooperationpolicy.Attheendofthe1990s Brazil MexicoandColombiastartedtoopenuptheirenergysectorsbuttoaverylimited extent sothatitwasdifficultforprivateorforeignoilcompaniestoentertheir oilindustries.Duringtheperiod19972007 however Brazilorganised more thaneightinternationaloilfieldtenders.Onlyafter2004 didforeign oil companieshaveanopportunitytoenterBrazil.Withimprovementsinitssecurity situation Colombiahasgraduallybecomeanimportantforeigndirectinvestment destination.Forexample theColombianstateownedcompanysigned15oil cooperationcontractswithothercountriesbetween2006and2008.Although Mexicobegantoallowprivatecapitaltoparticipateinthedownstreamsectorin 1995 it wasonlyin2003that Mexican Petroleum Petróleos Mexicanos PEMEX ), the Mexicannationaloilcompany organisedthefirstinternational tender. Duetotheimpactofthefinancialcrisis somecountriesdependentonoil exportshavesufferedgreatlyfromlowoilprices.Thesecountriescouldreadjust theirenergycooperationpoliciesbyopeninguptheiroilsectorsfurther.For example Venezuela becauseofthesharpdeclineinoilprices hasbeenina tightfiscalpositionsincetheendof2008.In Mexico theCongresspassedan energyreformpackageproposedbyPresidentCalderóninOctober2008 which wasstronglyopposedbyoppositionparties.Thereformpackagewillgivemore rightstoPEMEXtocooperatewithforeigncompaniesandwillopenuptheoil sectorfurther attracting more private and foreign capitaland advanced technology.In December2008 PEMEXlaunchedapublictenderconcerning explorationprogrammes thelargestinternationaltenderinitshistory.After