"Only England during the Industrial Revolution Could Compare to China Now"

China’s Investment in the U.S. Exceeds U.S.’s Investment in China

China Today: You mentioned meeting with officials from China’s Ministry of Commerce. Since Latin America is an important overseas investment destination for China, what ideas does the OAS have for promoting bilateral trade relations?

Luis Almagro: We try to promote trade relations between China and the Americas in an all-round way. Today’s China has changed the American equation, since China’s investment in the U.S. exceeds the latter’s investment in China. This reinforces relations between China and Latin America and the Caribbean, including cooperation in a series of development projects and providing raw materials, and in training enterprise employees and government officials. The OAS has contributed a lot in each of these aspects. For example, when formulating the social-contradictions management mechanisms, we’ve taken into consideration that the source of the main social contradictions in the Americas is related to major investment, and industrial and mining projects. This is vitally linked to China’s future investments on the continent, especially in such projects. As to corruption and security issues, the environment in Latin America and the Caribbean has improved, which should facilitate cooperation between China and enterprises in the Americas.

All China’s Links to the Americas Are Pleasant

China Today: Young organizations such as CELAC  (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) are promoting dialogue with China. One year ago, you attended the first ministerial meeting of China and CELAC, as Uruguay’s foreign minister. How does the OAS regard such intergovernmental organizations and their relations to China?

Luis Almagro: This is a good question. I hold a positive view of this issue. The closer China relates to CELAC, UNASUR, SICA, CARICOM, MERCOSUR, Alianza del Pacifico and ALBA, the better the environment the OAS enjoys. We don’t compete with any organization; instead, we supplement and reinforce each other. So, all China’s links to the Americas are pleasant. The OAS differs from those organizations. We are dedicated to the promotion of democracy, the protection of human rights, and the settlement of safety and development issues. It is a great delight to us as one of the oldest regional organizations to hold dialogues with one of the oldest countries in the world. Both sides have a far-reaching history and long traditions of effectiveness and a willingness to work, which guarantees the establishment and deepening of mutual trust.