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China, the EU and Latin America : current issues and future cooperation
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34 China theEUandLatinAmerica:CurrentIssuesandFutureCooperation multilateralframework.Butalltoooften theconstraintsoflargenumbersand overwhelmingshortterm prioritiescanderailgoodfaithattemptsatreconciling positions.Byproposingnegotiatedchangetounsustainableandoutdatedmodelsand structures thesecoalitionscanreachovertheNorthSouthdivideandhelpmusterthe requiredconsensusforachievingmultilateralbreakthroughs. Trilateraldialogueandcooperationprojectscanplayameaningfulrolein generatingpracticalresults aswellashelpingtobuildupgoodwill.Onmanyof theissues mentionedabove whichtouchoncriticalchallengesfacingthe internationalcommunity thereisampleroomforjointaction giventhatboth ChinaandtheEuropeanUnionarekeenactorsinallofthesetheatres.Butan effectivetrilateralforumrequiresameasurabledegreeofpoliticalconvergence. ThisexistsbetweenLatinAmericaandtheEUonculturalandhumanrights issues forexample butislimitedontrade asshown bydifficultiesin negotiatingbiregionaltradeagreements.Ontheotherhand thereissignificant agreementbetween Latin Americaand China ontradeand environmental matters butnotnecessarilyonothers. Ratherthanaimingforabsolutelycoincidentpositions effortsshouldgo intoopeninguproomforgradualconvergence.Someforums whilenotstrictly trilateral mayhelpingeneratingtheinstitutionalbackdropforcommonaction andcloserties.ThisisthecasewithregardtotheForumforEastAsianand LatinAmericanCooperation FEALAC .Similarly theRioGroupboastsan institutionaliseddialoguewithbothChinaandtheEU providingausefulstaging groundforthreewayexchanges.Equally IBSA bringingtogetherIndia Brazil andSouthAfrica isanexampleofhowtofostertrilateralactivities giventhe sponsorshipofpovertyalleviationmeasuresincountriesinAfrica LatinAmerica andSouthEastAsia. Allofferopportunitiesforspilloverinto bilateralagendas which are especiallyimportantformanyLatinAmericancountrieswithlimitedscopefor activeinitiativesfarbeyondtheirimmediateneighbourhood. Ontheenvironment forexample thereareobviousopportunitiesfor developingsuch partnerships.In biofuels Brazil wishestoseeits modelof sugarcanebasedethanolusedtopromotesustainableagricultureindeveloping countriesandto help us movetoagloballowcarboneconomy.Giventhat China ontheonehand wishestoreduceitsoildependency whiletheEuropean Commissionrecentlysetaunilateralgoalofreducinggreenhousegasemissions by20percentby2020 thereisampleroomforjointworkonclean cheapand sustainablealternativefuels.Ontheotherhand Brazilsmodelfordeforestation controlhasbeeninternationallyacclaimed asindicatedby Norways USD