China’s trade with, and investments in, Latin America are growing significantly and expected to continue doing so in the future as well.

Last week, Chinese President Hu Jintao signed a series of deals with his Peruvian counterpart, Alan Garcia, aimed at boosting business ties between the two nations. “Both leaders delivered flattering reciprocal comments and highlighted pleasing progress on negotiations on a free-trade agreement,” U.S.-based consultancy Global Insight said in a commentary on Friday.

The two countries hope to finalize a free trade agreement by November, when Peru is hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. Peru aims to increase its exports to China five-fold by 2015, Garcia told reporters Friday. Even without the free trade agreement, China’s trade with Peru is soaring and the Asian nation is now Peru’s second-largest export market after the United States. Peru is Latin America’s fourth-largest exporter to China, according to a Latin Business Chronicle analysis of 2007 data from China’s Ministry of Commerce. Meanwhile, thanks to two-way trade growing by 53.6 percent last year to $6.0 billion, Peru has replaced Venezuela as China’s fifth-largest trading partner in Latin America. Peru’s exports to China are dominated by mining – 95 percent – while Chinese imports are essentially valued-added products, according to Global Insight.”*

*From: http://www.latinbusinesschronicle.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

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• LatAm Immigrants Are Changing Spain, Sociologist Says
• Police in Peru say gang members killed people to drain their fat for cosmetics
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• The leader of Wal-Mart Stores Inc.’s Latin American division, Vicente Trius, is leaving the company after having served less than five months in the position.
• Beginning with the 2009-2010 season, Terra will stream select games live throughout Latin America, in both Spanish and Portuguese
• The Associated Press on Wednesday announced changes in its Latin America and Caribbean operations, closing a service limited to Puerto Rican news within Puerto Rico while adding editors and reporters elsewhere for the expanding Spanish market in the Americas.
• Money Transfer Service to Latin America – ATMCASH launches online and over the phone money transfer service to Latin America
• Reviewed: Gringo: A Coming-of-Age in Latin America, by Chesa Boudin
• Trend Toward Smaller Families in Latin America – The number of people per household in Latin America will fall by 18 percent by 2020, according to a study released in this capital Tuesday by consulting firm Euromonitor International.
• Peru: Documentary about the “Diablada” dance will be done in Puno
• Facing a group of presidents loudly critical of Washington, the U.S. government’s Voice of America broadcast is expanding its audience in Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador and Nicaragua, VOA officials say.
• Peruvian archaeologists have reached the conclusion that the Incas decapitated their enemies to use their heads as offerings after finding three skulls in a ceremonial vessel in the southeastern city of Cuzco.
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