China, Ámérica latina y el Caribe: el doble filo de una relación positiva

Abstract

Chinese economic development has been a phenomenon of the late 20th Century and will continue to impact the future. Latin American countries make up part of this new reality. In just a few years, China has become one of the most important economic partners for several Latin American countries. Political partnership, commercial exchange and bi-lateral cooperation with Latin America have increased drastically since Hu Jintao’s arrival to power. This is largely due to China’s demand for raw materials and natural resources. However, the growing relationship has a few rough edges. The majority of Latin American countries maintain a commercial surplus with China; however, this is heavily dependent on energy exports and a reduced number of raw materials and food. This situation could create a commercial dependency with potentially negative effects given the volatility of commodity prices of and China’s international bargaining power.