Source: World Policy Journal
In fall 2004, the president of China, Hu Jintao, embarked upon a trip to Latin America that sometimes seemed more a coronation than a diplomatic offensive. In Brazil, Chile, Cuba, and Argentina, Hu was received with the highest honors of a state guest, while local legislators battled to hold receptions for him and for the delegation of Chinese businesses searching for new investments in the region. Latin businesspeople hosted Hu at barbeques and welcomed him into their factories. Latin leaders recognized China as a market economy, one of Beijing’s major goals, and lavished praise on Hu, with the Brazilian president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, announcing, “We want a partnership that integrates our economies and serves as a paradigm for South-South cooperation.”
This article was originally published in fall 2006 version of The World Policy Journal.