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China, the EU and Latin America : current issues and future cooperation
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92 China theEUandLatinAmerica:CurrentIssuesandFutureCooperation warningothercountries particularlythe European powers torefrainfrom expandingtheirinfluenceintheWesternHemisphere.Thedoctrineassertedthat theAmericancontinents arehenceforthnottobeconsideredassubjectfor futurecolonizationbyanyEuropeanpower Smith1996:20 .Butinfact the USwasnotpowerfulenoughinthenineteenthcenturytoenforcethedoctrine. Forinstance FrancesetuptheempireofMaximilianin Mexicofrom1864to 1867.France even intended to name the continent of Latin America Francoamerica .GreatBritaindidnottake muchnoticeofthedoctrine.It continuedtoprovidemuchofthecapitalandtechnologyforLatinAmericainthe nineteenthcentury.Britishfirmsbuiltrailwaysandtelegraphandtelephone systems investedinminingandestablishedmanufacturingplantsinsomeLatin Americancountries Hillman1997:158 AftertheSecond World War Europewasoccupied withitsowneconomic reconstructionandintegration.Consequently itfailedtoattachmuchimportanceand urgencytothedevelopmentofitsrelationswithLatinAmerica. Thisbenignneglectstartedtodisappearinthe1970s.InFebruary1975 the EuropeanCommunity EC andsomeAfrican CaribbeanandPacific ACP countries signedtheFirstLoméConvention whichcameintoforceinApril1976 andwas designedtoprovideanew frameworkofcooperation betweenthethen European Community EC anddevelopingACPcountries inparticularformerBritish Dutch BelgianandFrenchcolonies.TheECalsoconcludedafewnonpreferential shortterm tradeagreementswithArgentina Brazil MexicoandUruguay Black1991:266 However economictiesbetweenEuropeandLatinAmericadidnotdevelop smoothly.TheCommonAgriculturalPolicyadoptedbytheECmadeithardfor LatinAmericasagriculturalproductstoenterEurope.Thiscouldexplainwhy Argentinaturned to the Soviet Union as major buyer ofits wheat. Furthermore theentryintotheECofPortugalandSpainin1986didnotrealise thehopesLatinAmericahadplacedinit. TheFalklands Malvinas WarbetweenArgentinaandGreatBritainin1982 putpressureonrelationsbetween Europeand Latin America.TheECstood alongsideGreatBritainandevenimposedeconomicsanctionsonArgentina.Most LatinAmericancountriessympathisedwithArgentina. Inthe1980s conflictsin CentralAmericaprovided Europeand Latin Americawitharareopportunitytomoveclosertogether.CentralAmericascivil warswereoftenintheinternationalheadlines.AlongwiththeUnitedNations andtheOrganizationofAmericanStates theECmadearemarkablecontribution tothepeaceprocessthere.Forinstance itstronglysupportedtheeffortsmade bytheContadoracountries.In1984 theSanJosédialoguebetweentheECand