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China rivalry over Latin America and Chinese presidents heralded a "new model" of cooperation at their recent weekend summit, nba jerseys a growing competition looks more likely. The whirlwind of activity before President Barack Obama met with President Xi Jinping in the California desert revealed that Beijing and Washington s sights are set on a similar prize and face differing challenges to attain it. Their focus is Latin America and the prize is increased trade and investment opportunities in a region where economic reforms have pulled millions out of poverty and into the middle class. Latin America is rich in the commodities and energy that both China and the United States need, largely stable politically and eager to do deals. Consider the travel itinerary: Obama visited Mexico and Costa Rica last month. Vice President Joe Biden recently went to Colombia, Trinidad and Tobago and Brazil. Chile s president paid Obama a visit last week, Peru s leader arrived Tuesday and Brazil s is due in October. Meanwhile, just after Biden left Trinidad, Xi arrived, part of a tour that also took him to Costa Rica and Mexico to promote trade and cooperation. and Chinese officials, however, are finding a more self confident Latin America, able to leverage its new strength to forge better agreements and find multiple trading partners. That will likely force Washington Moncler Eric down jackets blue to work harder to maintain its leading trade position against China which has money to burn in the region. "There is a more energetic tone, a more optimistic mood about economic agenda in second term than first time," Michael Shifter, president of the Inter American Dialogue, a Washington policy group, told me. wants to be part of it. Whether there s a well thought out vision or policy remains a question. But there is more of an affirmation of the region and a willingness to engage." The United States, Latin America s largest trading partner throughout much of its history, still retains this position. Washington has now signed free trade agreements with more than a third of the hemisphere s nations and annually exchanges more than $800 billion in goods and services with Latin America more than three times the region s commerce with China. In Obama s first term, however, the administration was widely viewed as neglecting Latin America. And China has moved in fast. China built its annual trade with the region from virtually nothing in 2000 to about $260 billion in 2012. In 2009, it overtook the United States as the largest moncler men coats trading partner of Brazil, the region s powerhouse largely through massive purchases of iron ore and soy. Other data is telling: In 1995, for example, the United States accounted for 37 percent of Brazil s foreign direct investment. That dropped to 10 percent in 2011, according to the Council of the Americas, which seeks to foster hemispheric ties. Washington s renewed ardor is at least partly because of the fear that China will repeat in Latin America the economic success it has built in Africa. China has been able to present itself as a benevolent partner there, which has played well against the West s history of meddling in domestic Moncler k2 down Vest Women Multiple logo deep red affairs. "It s about influence and leverage," said Eric Farnsworth, vice president of the Council of the Americas, "The region matured and expects to be treated in real partnership rather than [in the] patronizing way it happened in the past." The challenges facing Beijing and Washington lie in how each approaches the region. Washington confronts lingering resentment about its historic regional interference, stretching back to the 1823 Monroe Doctrine, and its continuing desire to mix business with policy which muddies its approach to trade and investment. Washington s domestic problems, its pivot to Asia and a host of global crises, also serve as distractions that could keep its actions in Latin America from matching its words as has happened before. moncler jackets men uk China, meanwhile, is largely viewed in the region as unencumbered by ideology. It approaches opportunities almost exclusively on commercial terms there. Biden, in a May 29 speech in Rio de Janeiro, gushed about the progress made by Latin America and trumpeted the region s growing international stature. The issue now is: What can we do together? We want to engage more. We think there s great opportunity. We re optimistic." As with many new starts, a recognition of past mistakes is in order. "For many in Brazil," Biden said, "the United States doesn t start with a clean slate. There s some good reason for that skepticism. moncler group That skepticism still exists and it s understandable. But the world has changed. We re moving past old alignments, leaving behind old suspicions and building new relationships." China has particular interest in Mexico, the region s second largest market. market with manufactured goods. But China is now looking to work with Mexico City investing in infrastructure, mining and energy because of the expected reforms that would open the oil industry to foreign investment. There are obstacles ahead. One irritation that President Enrique Pe?a Nieto shared with Xi is that though Mexico posted a trade surplus with its global partners, it Moncler down Coats Men Hooded mid-length Military green ran a big deficit with China. China is looking for even more however. It is eager to pursue a free trade agreement with Mexico, but Mexico City said last week it was too soon. trade partner by the end of the decade, according to the Dialogue. China is also considering joining negotiations for the Trans Pacific Partnership agreement, which aims to boost trade among the Americas, Asia and Australia. The talks include the United States, Canada and other major economies on the Pacific rim. Each superpower also brings baggage to the region. Washington still seeks to exert pressure on its partners. It has told Brazil, for example, that moncler down jacket women it has the responsibility to use its leverage with others, such as Iran. Meanwhile, "Chinese investment," Farnsworth said, "doesn t always bring with it good governance practices or anti corruption or environmental concerns." The different approaches suit Latin America just fine as it looks for continued growth. "Latin Americas welcomes being courted by both superpowers," Shifter explained. Just as Latin America doesn t want to rely too much on the United States, it also now doesn t want to depend too much on Beijing, particularly in light of the China s current economic slowdown. Gary Regenstreif is Editor at Large at Reuters, based in New York. moncler polo shirts mens He previously served as Reuters bureau chief in Paris, Rome, Buenos Aires and Caracas. He joined the news agency in his native Canada

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China sacks health minister The Chinese leadership took dramatic action today to end a cover up of the SARS epidemic by revealing 14 new deaths and hundreds of cases, jerseys sacking two senior officials and cancelling May Day holidays as the worldwide deathtoll climbed to 204. The move followed international criticism of China s handling of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). Singapore, with 14 recorded SARS deaths, took the drastic step of ordering 2,400 people to quarantine themselves at home for 10 days because they might have come into contact with a SARS sufferer at a market. In a statement today the Chinese health moncler outlet kids ministry said there were 346 confirmed cases and 402 suspected cases in Beijing alone, and that 18 people had died from SARS in the capital. The number of cases in Beijing is nine times higher than the previous official figure of 44 cases and four deaths. The nationwide death toll from SARS has been raised to 79 with 1,814 confirmed cases of the illness. Shortly after the statement state moncler polo shirt media reported that Health Minister Zhang Wenkang and Beijing mayor Meng Xuenong were removed from senior positions in the Communist Party, a formal step which will almost certainly see them fired from their government posts. Chinese President Hu Jintao said today he was confident the country could beat the killer virus, state media reported. Hu said technology and persistence would beat SARS, as he Moncler Loire down Women coat with zip black visited the microbiology department of the Chinese People s Liberation Army (PLA) Medical Institute and the genealogical institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, Xinhua said. The key to win the battle against SARS is to give full play to science and technology, Hu was as quoted as saying. Hu also gave assurances that the Chinese government was concerned with the outbreak moncler germany in parts of the country and that it had been given top priority. He admitted the battle against SARS was a major task, affecting the health and safety of the Chinese people, as well as China s development and stability. There is no cure, vaccine or diagnostic test for the illness, and China s cooperation is seen as vital to containing and ultimately controlling the epidemic, which has devastated business and travel in Asia. moncler for mens Vice Health Minister Gao Qiang standing in for Zhang who failed to show up told a news conference that a team had been sent to every hospital in Beijing to find out the real number of SARS moncler beanie cases. The World Health Organisation (WHO) welcomed China s new attitude today, but expressed concern that many poor and rural areas with only basic medical facilities were not facing the same scrutiny. About 4,000 confirmed or suspected cases of SARS have now been recorded in around 30 countries, but the vast majority are in mainland China and the former British colony of Hong Kong, which is battling moncler bubble an alarming rise in deaths. The Hong Kong government announced seven more deaths today and 22 new cases. A total of 88 deaths and 1,380 cases have now been recorded in the territory. Governments today continued their efforts to halt the disease s spread. Singapore which has 178 cases ordered 2,400 people who had been at a wholesale market to stay at home for 10 days, the incubation period of the virus, moncler coats after a 45 year old man was diagnosed with SARS. The market was temporarily shut down yesterday. The new deaths have pushed the global toll from SARS to 204. In addition to China, Hong Kong and Singapore, deaths have been recorded in Canada (14), Vietnam (5), Thailand (2) and Malaysia (1). Today Malaysia also announced a second possible SARS death, that of a 30 year old man. Officials said tests would confirmed how he died in several days. The WHO has pinpointed the coronavirus a virus family which causes the common cold as the cause of SARS, which begins with fever, a cough and shortness of breath. But Canadian heath officials warned the coronavirus may not be the only cause of the disease. "We have only identified the coronavirus in 50 per cent of the people being treated for SARS," health ministry spokesman Paul Gully told the Sunday edition of the Montreal newspaper La Presse. The number of Canadians struck by the disease has continued to rise, with 304 people feared to be suffering from it, making health officials worried that they do not have SARS under control

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