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China, the EU and Latin America : current issues and future cooperation
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China theEUandLatinAmerica:TrilateralRelationsandScopeforMultilateralism 25 cooperationprojects exchangeprogrammes capacitybuildinganddialogueon globalagendaissues.SpainandPortugalhavetraditionallytakenaleadinmost cooperationprojects beitthroughtheIberianAmericansummitmechanismor byplayingaparticularlyactiveroleintheEULACdialogue. Theresultshave onthewhole beenmodest duetothelackofaclear focusandconflictingpriorities.Ontrade thedifficultiesinvolvedinconcluding anassociationagreementbetweentheEU and MERCOSURorthe Andean Communityreflectprotectionistpressuresonbothsides.Projectsinthefieldof technical and technological cooperation have been fragmented with understandablylittle measurableimpactintermsofpromotingsustainable developmentinLatin America.Thishasbeenunderscoreddramaticallyand painfullyinthebitterdisputeovermigrationcontrolsinvolvingLatinAmerican nationalslivinginEurope.Anotherboneofcontention especiallyasregards Brazil istheissueofEUrestrictionsonbiofuelimports.Giventhedivergent viewsontheseandothermajorissues thisgenerallackofcoherenceandsenseof focuswasvery muchinevidenceduringtheLimaSummit.Thepictureis aggravatedbytheEUsgrowingprioritisationofcooperationwithCentraland EasternEurope.ThishasledSpainandPortugal giventheirhistoricallycloser linkstotheregion tobankrolltheIberoAmericansummitprocess whichtends toconcentrateonculturalandtechnicalcooperation. Noneofthishasdetracted fromincreased European directinvestmentintheregion probablyits most consistentandlastingcontributionto Latin Americandevelopment although ironicallythisisalsoincreasinglyanirritantinthefaceofrisingeconomic nationalisminsomeLatinAmericancountries. 3.犔犪狋犻狀犃犿犲狉犻犮犪 狋犺犲犆犪狉犻犫犫犲犪狀犪狀犱犆犺犻狀犪牶犌狉狅狑犻狀犵犘犪犻狀狊 InthecaseofLatinAmericaandChina historydoesnotcastsolonga shadow.Onlyrecentlyhavetiesgainedgreaterweight astheresultofgrowing economicandcommerciallinks.Tradehasinfactjumpedquitedramaticallywith mostcountriesoftheregion accompaniedbytheestablishmentofdiplomatic relationswithalmostallcountries.IncontrasttoLatinAmericaEUrelations thereisnocomparableinstitutionaliseddialoguemechanismbetweenChinaand LatinAmerica however theMacauForum forexample bringstogetherChina andPortuguesespeakingcountriesinthreecontinents.Existingmechanismsare largelybilateralandfocusedonspecificlinks whicharestilllargelytradeand investmentdriven.Aswithmostcountriesandgroupings theRioGrouphasa regulardialoguemechanismwithChina whichnormallymeetsatthemarginsof majorforums.Whileitservesasausefulopportunityforgeneralexchangeson