Latin America

China Rules The Wild Side
28 April 2006

STRATEGY PAGE (UNITED STATES)--China is increasingly using arms sales and trade as a diplomatic tool. Nothing unusual there, except that the Chinese are specializing in outcast, and outlaw, nations. This is risky business. For example, Chinese government and business officials are in accord that it's not practical to do any serious business with Venezuela because President Hugo Chavez has "a short attention span" and is likely to make glowing promises about all sorts of possible deals, but then never follow through. Source: http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htproc/articles/20060428.aspx (Reliability: 9)