Guardian.uk: China's President Latin America tour cements Beijing's trade clout
China's President Latin America tour cements Beijing's trade clout
China's president, Hu Jintao, is leading scores of Chinese business people on a sweep through Latin America to reinforce Beijing's growing economic clout in the region. Hu launched free trade talks on a visit to Costa Rica, before flying to a rapturous reception in Cuba. This week he will also be one of the stars at a Pacific rim summit of 21 nations in Peru. By then, Beijing's delegation will have grown to 600 people, including 12 ministers."China's relations with Latin America and the Caribbean have never been so close," Hu told Peru's El Comercio newspaper. In contrast to Russia's politically charged push into the region - which involves selling arms and challenging US influence - Beijing's focus is on agriculture, raw materials and markets for its exports.
