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Trade Between China And Latin America

Decent Essays

In 1999, trade between China and Latin America totaled approximately $8 billion; by 2009, that number had had grown to $130 billion. Earlier this year, a study by the United Nations’ Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) concluded that by the year 2016, trade between China and Latin America will surpass that between the Eurozone and Latin America, making China Latin America’s second largest trading partner. Most studies of this partnership have focused on: a growing security dilemma, a monumental language barrier, sea disputes, a red scare (the fear that China will spread communism), and Africa–China relations (where China is often referred to as a new imperialist). This paper will explore the motivations and strategies that are shaping China’s engagements in Latin America. I will focus, first, on China’s resource extraction strategies in Latin America and, second, the implications of these strategies for the two regions. The paper will argue that China’s goal in Latin America is first and foremost, to secure sufficient resources to meet the needs of its population and to secure its continuing economic growth, and look at considerable strategies China has to achieve this. It is also clear that China is using its economic, political, and military power to influence other developing countries, especially on sensitive issues like Taiwanese independence. Lastly, both Latin America and China seek to benefit from their relationship, and it is likely

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