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China, the EU and Latin America : current issues and future cooperation
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14 China theEUandLatinAmerica:CurrentIssuesandFutureCooperation agreement. AsformerTradeCommissionerPeter Mandelsonsaid theEU expects tangibleresultsintheform of marketaccess enforcementofintellectual propertyrights IPR ), consumersafetyandsoon.Probablynoothercountry hasgainedmorefromglobalisationthanChina.Nationalstandardswhichdiffer significantlyfrominternationalonescausehighcompliancecostsanddelays. EasingaccesstotheChinesemarketisanobjectivetheEUshareswithkey developingoremergingcountries. Idonotsharetheworriessometimesexpressedaboutimpendingcatastrophe withregardtoclearlyshiftingcentresofgravityintheworldeconomy.Itakea moreoptimistic cooperativeview.Apparently inChinese thesignfor crisis isalsothesignfor opportunity .Economicactivitiestosomeextentmoving awayfromEuropeandtheUSandevenLatinAmericashouldnotbeseenmerely asaonewayprocess.First weretainlongacquiredtechnologicalcapabilities. Second suchmovescanalsogenerateincomeforEuropeanenterprises directly orthroughlicencefees.Third generaldevelopmentandknowhowgeneratedin Asiaand Latin Americacreateconsiderable demandforcertain European industries suchasrenewableenergytechnology transportandsoforth and providegroundsforresearch whichcanbecomemorecooperative.Also itis simplistictoseethegrowingChinesepresenceonbothEUandLatinAmerican marketsasathreat mainlyduetocheaplabour.Itshouldbeseenasawakeup callforthose who havesofarfailedto elaborate nationalandregional developmentandreformstrategies.Chinahasapointinstressingthatitslow pricedexportproductscanbepurchasedbythepoorinLatinAmerican butitis alsotruethattoallowthepoortobuyanythingtheyneedjobs whichcanbe endangeredbysuchlowpriceimports.Ontheotherhand forLACthereare risksofbeingstuckinthelowvaluerawmaterialexportcorner TheEconomist 2005:43 OECD2006 IABD2006 Buck2006 deFreitasBarbosa2007 Chinahasconfirmeditsinterestinprotectingintellectualpropertyrights IPR andincontrollingproductsafety.Theirresponsiblebehaviourofsome producersthreatensChinesecompaniesjustasmuchasanyothers.Underan agreementof2006 theEUpassesoninformationaboutdangerousgoodstothe Chineseauthorities. We should welcomethefactthat despite growing problems cooperationhasimprovedrapidly.Suchcooperationcouldbeextended tootherpartners.Itshouldalsobeaddedthat duetoitsrapiddevelopment Chinaisalsobecomingthevictimofunfairorcriminalproductionelsewhere.In April2009 forthefirsttimeaGermancourtprotectedaChinesefirmagainst counterfeitingbyaGermanfirm althoughitshouldalsobenotedthatitsowner