Advancing Relations With Latinos

By+Jiang+Shixue

It is commonly taught in schools that Christopher Columbus discovered the Americas in 1492. However， some argue that Columbus was not the first to set foot on this New World—rather， as early as in 1421， Chinese mariner and explorer Zheng He（1371-1433） first arrived on the shores of the Americas.

Its hard to say whether or not the story is true. However， its certain that Chinas relationships with Latin American nations have developed at an unprecedented rate in the past decade. Their exchanges in the areas of politics， finance， science and technology， culture， military and non-governmental organizations have made strides along with the fast growth of bilateral trade and investment. Indeed， China-Latin America relations have reached an all-time high.

Latin American advantages

Latin America possesses four strengths that China treasures：

The region can play a role in “building a harmonious world，” a vision that China proposed years ago. Latin America and the Caribbean are playing increasingly important parts on todays international stage. These countries have been actively involved in international events while championing principles like independence， friendly coexistence and non-intervention. Moreover， most countries in the region have solid economic and social development foundations and huge development potential. Thus， China can effectively work with them to promote harmony in the world.

Latin America and the Caribbean feature ample resources. Although the Chinese Government has realized the importance of adjusting the nations economic growth pattern， its demand for external resources will not decrease significantly. In other words， it must continue to import resources to support its rapid economic growth. By solidifying friendly relations with countries in the region and exploring their resources in mutually beneficial cooperation， China also delves into the possibility and necessity of conducting South-South cooperation among developing economies.

The region could present a positive destination for Chinese enterprises “going-out” strategy. As Chinas economic strength grows， the country is encouraging Chinese enterprises to directly invest overseas， considering this as an important part of Chinas national policy and its reform and opening-up strategy. The region that neighbors the United States not only features a huge market， but world-leading technologies as well. It will be of utmost importance to Chinese enterprisesoverseas investment strategies.endprint

China can also exchange experiences in administration and governance with countries in the region. They have a lot in common， with similar ideas of development， a shared task of accelerating economic and social development， and a common need to prevent the “middle-income trap.” By learning from one another， China and Latin American nations can jointly promote the development of human civilization.

Further steps

China and its Latino friends need to step up efforts to advance their relationship further.

A key precondition of promoting exchanges between countries is to enhance mutual understanding. It will be the same for China and Latin American nations. Due to the distance， different political systems， cultural differences and language barrier， the two sides still have a limited understanding of one another. Thus， there is a need for high-level exchanges in addition to non-governmental contacts. When advancing economic and trade relations， China and Latin American nations should also promote communication and cooperation in fields like education， culture， press， tourism， sports， science and technology， trade unions， youth and womens issues.

Both traditional and new patterns and channels should be adopted in their bilateral exchanges.

They should actively deal with the “U.S. element.” Having viewed Latin America and the Caribbean as its “backyard，” the United States has been alert to Chinas involvement in the region. An American scholar once said that if former U.S. President James Monroe， who declared Latin America as the United States Latin America in 1823 （known as the Monroe Doctrine）， saw the presence of China， Iran and Russia in Latin America， he would have turned in his grave.

Actually， President Monroe could save such an effort. Considering its relationship with Latin America as part of South-South cooperation， China never targets its existence in the region at a third party. Economists with international institutions， like the World Bank， the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean， believe the development of China-Latin America trade and economic relations is helpful for pushing forward the regions economic growth. In the meantime， the economic development of Latin America is favorable for the United States.

China and Latin America should emphasize their respective comparative advantages in economic communication. Comparative advantage is one of the bases of international economic relations. Chinas comparative advantage lies in its abundant labor resources， strong manufacturing ability and giant domestic market， while Latin America is endowed with extensive reserves of natural resources. With their respective comparative advantages， China and Latin America can pursue their own competitiveness to complement each other. Latin America should not view Chinas export of manufactured goods and import of natural resources as neo-colonialism.endprint

They need to strengthen cooperation in participating in global governance. In particular， they should consult with and support each other in areas such as reforming international financial system， pushing forward the Doha Round of World Trade Organization negotiations， combating terrorism and dealing with global climate change.

Expectations

International travel has become increasingly convenient， making mutual visits of high-level officials of different countries possible. However， the time difference and long distance between China and Latin America still limit frequent governmental visits between them. Hence， communicating and consulting through the special medium of a cooperation forum will greatly save diplomatic resources while enhancing mutual understanding.

The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation founded in October 2000 has made outstanding achievements， posing as a good reference for future cooperation between China and Latin America. Many African leaders and officials believe that the forum has provided a new dynamic to further China-Africa relations.

On June 26， 2012， then Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao delivered a speech at the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean headquarters in Chiles capital city Santiago， announcing the establishment of a China-Latin America cooperation forum to serve as a platform for promoting comprehensive collaboration between the two sides. This was the first time that China had made such a proposal.

Chinas appeal was actively echoed. At a summit held on January 28 in Havana， the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States approved establishing a cooperation forum with China. As the community covers 33 countries in the region， the forum will mark another milestone of China-Latin America relations. It was reported that the first ministerial meeting of the forum is expected to open in 2014.

The two sides should also pay more attention to the 12 Latin American nations that do not yet have a diplomatic relationship with China， preventing a bad influence on relations across the Taiwan Straits. Furthermore， they should realize the institutionalization of the forum as soon as possible to guarantee efficiency and prevent empty talks. They need to prove to the international community， especially to the United States， that the forum is a new way to strengthen and promote South-South cooperation， and is not intended to hurt the interests of any third party.endprint