China-Latin America relations in the XXI century: partners or rivals?

• Main Author: Uziel Nogueira
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Associação Brasileira de Relações Internacionais 2007-10-01
• Series: Carta Internacional
• Online Access: https://www.cartainternacional.abri.org.br/Carta/article/view/413

During the presidential campaign of 2002, (then) candidate Luis Inacio “Lula” da Silva made an unprecedented trip to Beijing, the first ever by a presidential candidate. That trip signaled Lula’s ambition of creating a strategic relation with a group of emerging economies known as BRICS, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Lula’s vision was pragmatic, non-ideological and sought to position Brazil among the leading countries of the world. He shared similar world affair views as President Hu Jintao and was convinced that cooperation would create prosperity for both nations. One reason is that resource endowment factors make the two economies highly complementary. China is demanding large quantities of Brazilian commodity-based products that suffer market access barriers in advanced countries. Brazil offers a growing market for Chinese products and business opportunity for direct investment in infrastructure, energy and natural resources. The growing trade and economic links between the two countries in the last four years seems to vindicate President Lula’s strategic vision on this promising relation.