Chile

Chile Making Progress With Produce Exports To China
18 May 2006

FRESHPLAZA (THOLEN)--The director of the Chilean phytosanitary authority for the agricultural sector (SAG), Francisco Bahamonde Medina, was head of a delegation that visited China, together with board members of the export promotion organization (ASOEX). How the handles its control of fruit fly infestations remained an important subject of discussion, as the policy of the Chilean phytosanitary authority SAG to keep an effective quarantine area of 7.2 km around a fruit fly infested area had to be defended in face of the suggestions of Chinese counterpart AQSIQ to close of an entire regions when discovering an infestation. Yet good progress is made in deciding the export protocols and in September – before the harvest of the new cherry crop – the signing of a protocol for citrus and cherries is anticipated. According to ASOEX president Ronald Bown the collaboration and the Chinese market both offer potential for the enhancement of the Chilean produce export market. Source: http://www.freshplaza.com/2006/18may/1-2_cl_china.htm (Reliability: 8)

Latin America

Latin American Journalists Take Up Close Look At China
18 May 2006

XINHUANET (BEIJING)--People in Latin America are eager to find out about the rapid changes happening in China, President Guido Rodriguez of the American Panama newspaper of Panama said. Rodriguez is among a high-profile delegation of Latin America media, which has arrived in Beijing for a two-week visit to China. The delegation consists of senior members of newspapers, TV channels and press groups from Panama, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador and Venezuela. Source: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-05/18/content_4567830.htm (Reliability: 7)

Mexico

Mexico To Promote Cooperation With China
17 May 2006

XINHUANET (MEXICO CITY)--Mexico would continue to maintain the friendly relations with China and be ready to work with Beijing to expand the cooperation in various sectors, Mexican President Vicente Fox said on 17 May 2006. Fox said Mexico and China were not competitors but important partners. Both of the economies were in good shape and had developed rapidly. To strengthen bilateral cooperation would help the two countries achieve common development and better deal with various challenges, he added. The president believed the second meeting of the China-Mexico Permanent Bi-national Commission on 18 May 2006 and 19 May 2006 would further improve the existing good relations between the two nations. Source: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-05/18/content_4565888.htm (Reliability: 7)

Argentina

Argentina Ups Mineral Exports To China
17 May 2006

PRENSA LATINA (BUENOS AIRES)--Salta Province in northern Argentina increased mineral exports to China threefold in the first four months of the year, compared to 2005. The Salta Mining and Energy Resources secretary said exports to China between January and April were 5,942 tons, for a 246 percent increase over the 2005 period. Salta, which shares a border with Bolivia, reports the volume almost matches that for the entire 2005 exports to China, 6,110 tons. Provincial director Ricardo Alonso said the main exports consisted of boric acid, lithium chloride, and colemanite (hydrated calcium borate hydroxide), plus sodium octoborate (Na2B8O13) used to fight insects in lumber. Source: http://www.plenglish.com/article.asp?ID=%7BA91F5703-1B73-43E8-A6B1
-3981605A9C47%7D)&language=EN (Reliability: 8)

Cuba

Cuba, China Further Strengthen Bilateral Relations
17 May 2006

CUBAN NEWS ANGENCY (HAVANA)--Pedro Saez, member of Cuba’s Communist Party Political Bureau held talks on 16 May 2006 with the President of the National Committee of the Political Consultative Conference of the Chinese People Jia Qinglin. The Cuban official is visiting China as part of the exchange between the communist parties of both countries. Jia Qinglin praised the advance of bilateral relations in both political and economical areas as well as the development of cooperation following the signing last year of twinning agreements between Havana and Beijing. Source: http://www.ain.cubaweb.cu/idioma/ingles/2006/may17china-relaciones.htm (Reliability: 7)

Latin America

This is a link to a dialgoue between Latin American specialist Carlos Caicedo, from political risk consultancy Exclusive Analysis in London, to Johannesburg's Business Day.

http://www.resourceinvestor.com/pebble.asp?relid=19860

Trinidad And Tobago

TT, China Sign Deal
13 May 2006

NEWSDAY (TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO)--Prime Minister Patrick Manning yesterday announced that the National Academies for the Performing Arts in Port-of-Spain and San Fernando will cost USD100 million and construction work on the projects is expected to commence very soon. Through strong bilateral trade relations between the Republics of China and Trinidad and Tobago, three sets of documents were signed. The first was the Framework Agreement signed by Chinese Ambassador Xing Huang and acting Foreign Affairs Minister Danny Montano. The second was the Concession Agreement which was signed by Manning and Ruo Gui Li, president of the Export Import Bank of China and the third was the Commercial Contract where Udecott chairman Calder Hart and Tong Jisheng, president of the Shanghai Construction Group (SCG) International (Trinidad and Tobago) Limited, put their signatures on the document. Source: http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,37372.html (Reliability: 8)