Latin America

United States Watching China's Latin American Moves

15 April 2006

LA TIMES (BEIJING)--The Bush administration held talks this week with Chinese officials on their nation's growing role in training and advising armed forces in Latin America, though the Americans did not issue warnings or call for limits, a United States (U.S.) envoy said on 14 March 2006. “The two-day meetings, which also covered political and economic issues, were the first between the two countries devoted solely to Latin America,” said Thomas A. Shannon, the top U.S. diplomat for Latin America. “The discussions reflect China's growing influence as a global power and world-class consumer of oil and other resources,” he added. Source: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/
la-fg-china15apr15,1,6290633.story?coll=la-headlines-
world&ctrack=1&cset=true (Reliability: 8)

Latin America

China assures United States It Won't Export Political Model To Latin America

14 April 2006

MERCURY NEWS (BEIJING)--Chinese officials assured Washington that Beijing has no plans to seek greater influence in Latin America beyond expanding trade, a senior United States (U.S.) envoy said 14 April 2006. China's trade with Latin America more than doubled to about USD 50 billion a year since 2000, though still a small fraction of U.S. annual trade of about USD 800 billion with the region. But China's trade grows fast. It's said it plans to boost trade with the region to USD 100 billion by 2010. It's also scouring the Western Hemisphere for oil and gas concessions, drawing it closer to Venezuela, a major U.S. supplier that has the greatest global energy reserves outside the Persian Gulf. Source: http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/
world/14345215.htm (Reliability: 7)

Brazil

Brazilian Unit Of China’s Gree To Start Exporting In July

13 April 2006

MACAU HUB (SAO PAULO)--The Brazilian unit of Chinese air conditioner manufacturer, Gree will begin exporting its products to Latin American countries in July, said company officials. The unit, which is located in Manaus, the capital of Amazonas state in the north of Brazil, plans to export up to half of its production, namely to Argentina, Chile and Venezuela. The director of the company, Yue Haiping, said that installing the unit in Brazil was part of Gree's strategy to operate in the whole of the Latin American market. The Brazilian unit started in June 2001 and was Gree’s first overseas subsidiary. The company also recently started a factory in Pakistan, as well as having offices in Europe, Asia and Russia. Source: http://www.macauhub.com.mo/en/news.php?ID=1138 (Reliability: 7)

Image Courtesy: http://www.cssr.com/deutsch/whoarewe/ourstructures-DT.shtml

Latin America

China Could Be A Very Large Investor In Latin America

12 April 2006

XINHUANET (SANTIAGO)--China, which is the world's third largest recipient of foreign direct investment (FDI), is a potential "very large investor" in Latin America and the Caribbean, according to the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). Jose Luis Machinea, executive secretary of the ECLAC, said that although China did not play a prominent role in the investment field at present, the country would invest more to ensure access to the natural resources of the region in the future. "Traditionally, foreign investment in Latin America has come from the United States and Europe," he said, citing the chapter covering China in ECLAC's annual report on the region's FDI in 2005 entitled "Latin America's World Presence." "However, it is essential to diversify capital flows," he added. Source: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/
2006-04/13/content_4419140.htm (Reliability: 5)

Cuba

Cuba Expands Ophthalmologic Cooperation With China

11 April 2006

CUBAN NEWS AGENCY (HAVANA)--Cuba and China undertook a health cooperation program aimed at improving ophthalmologic care in the western region of China. The agreement, signed in the Chinese province of Qinghai, declares the objective of creating an ophthalmologic medical center with the help of Cuban specialists. Created in March 2005, the Cuban Medical Services group is "an instrument for the Cuban government and revolution's foreign medical policy," and as a vehicle to promote “free and/or subsidized cooperation, the training of national and foreign experts, scientific research, and for the organization of the International Henry Reeve Medical Brigade.” Source: http://www.ain.cubaweb.cu/idioma/ingles/2006/abr11cuba-china.htm (Reliability: 6)

Mexico

Emerging Sino-Mexican Strategy

08 April 2006

MONSTERS AND CRITICS (UNITED STATES)--On a three-day visit to Beijing last month, Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Ernesto Derbez addressed growing speculation by some observers that China-Mexico bilateral relations were strained, due in large part to China's existing trade practices and its cautious policy concerning the revaluation of its currency the yuan. “China is Mexico’s strategic ally, not an economic rival,” Derbez said. The foreign minister’s emphatic comment points to a surprising about-face in relations between the two countries that suggests development of a new cooperative “Sino-Mexican” economic and energy arrangement. Source: http://news.monstersandcritics.com/southamerica/article
_1153693.php/Emerging_Sino-LatAm_strategy
(Reliability: 7)

Cuba

Cuba, China Groom Health Collaboration

11 April 2006

PRENSA LATINA (BEIJING)--Cuban Public Health Minister Jose Ramon Balaguer concluded a working visit to China on 11 April 2006 that included meetings with authorities and visits to several provinces. The guest minister also toured the Chinese-Cuban Biotechnical Pharmaceutical joint company and dialogued with experts on the industry’s development. In Beijing, Balaguer met with local Health Minister Gao Qiang, toured the Center for Infectious Disease Control and Prevention and several pharmaceutical entities having commercial ties with the island before departing for Guangdong, Sichuan and Qinghai provinces. Source: http://www.plenglish.com/article.asp?ID=%7BEA630BDE-2EE4-45C5-B721-
C90D69F052B7%7D)&language=EN (Reliability: 8)

Colombia

India, China Bid For Colombian Oil Field

11 April 2006

ASIA TIMES (NEW DELHI)--ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL), the foreign arm of state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC), may tie up with Chinese firm Sinopec to make a joint bid for at least 50 percent stake in a Colombian oilfield. Top OVL officials last week held talks with China's national oil company for joint submission of bid for Omimex de Colombia Ltd, industry sources said. The field produces approximately 9,450 barrels per day net of crude oil and 6,965 barrels oil from the Nare and Cocorna Association Contracts. Source: http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/HD11Df03.html (Reliability: 7)

Latin America

United States, China To Discuss Competing Interests In Latin America

10 April 2006

CYBERCAST NEWS SERVICE (UNITED STATES)--Thomas Shannon, assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs for the United States (U.S.), held talks with Chinese officials on the two countries' policies towards Latin America and "China-U.S. cooperation" in the region, according to Beijing foreign ministry spokesman, Qin Gang. It is the first time the two nations held talks on Latin America. China’s global mission is to secure new sources of energy to fuel its fast-growing economy, and develop close ties with Venezuela, the world's fifth largest petroleum exporter and long a key supplier to the U.S. Source: http://www.cnsnews.com/news/viewstory.asp?Page=%5CForeignBureaus
%5Carchive%5C200604%5CINT20060410a.html
(Reliability: 5)

Comment: The source of this article, Cybercast News Service (CNS) is an affiliate of the Media Research Center (MRC), a self described “Leader in documenting, exposing and neutralizing liberal media bias.”