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Venezuela joins China’s Lunar Research Project
The Republic of China has extended an invitation to Venezuela to participate in its International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) project, which is set to be constructed in the early 2030s with Russia’s assistance. This collaborative initiative reflects the shared commitment of both countries to international cooperation in the realm of deep space exploration.
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Mexico requests China’s help in the fight against fentanyl
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has reached out to Chinese President Xi Jinping through a letter, seeking assistance in curtailing the flow of fentanyl shipments from China to Mexico. Lopez Obrador explains in the letter that U.S. lawmakers have been holding Mexico responsible for the fentanyl crisis in the United States, even going as far as threatening invasion of Mexican territory.
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After breaking diplomatic relations with Honduras, Taiwan’s president visits Guatemala and Belize 
Following the termination of diplomatic relations with Honduras, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen embarked on a visit to Guatemala and Belize last week, aiming to strengthen ties with her regional allies. Tsai’s tour, which attracted controversy due to two stopovers in the United States, sought to bolster relationships in the region. In Guatemala, Tsai held a meeting with Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei, during which both leaders delivered a joint message reaffirming their close bonds.
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Uruguayan foreign minister meets with Chinese authorities to promote trade agreement
Uruguay’s Foreign Minister, Francisco Bustillo, is scheduled to travel to China next week for a series of meetings with Chinese authorities aimed at initiating negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Bustillo will hold discussions with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang and Wang Shouwen, the Vice Minister of Commerce and Deputy Representative for International Trade Negotiations of China.
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China’s dominance in world steel production puts pressure on Latin America’s steel sector
According to studies conducted by the Latin American Steel Association (Alacero), the steel sector in the region is expected to experience a gradual recovery in 2023. However, several factors contribute to the sluggishness, including uncertainties surrounding international trade and domestic policies implemented by China to revive its steel production for industrial recovery.
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Government of Panama and Chinese consortium agree to restart construction of the Fourth Bridge over the Panama Canal
The Government of Panama has signed an addendum with a Chinese consortium to resume the construction of the Fourth Bridge over the Interoceanic Canal, a significant infrastructure project with a budget of $1.518 billion. The Panama Fourth Bridge Consortium (CPCP), comprising China Communications Construction Company LTD and China Harbour Engineering Company LTD, was initially awarded the project in 2018. However, financing difficulties and design changes led to a suspension of the work in 2020.
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Chinese, Russian, and U.S. companies join lithium extraction in Bolivia
Yacimientos de Litio Bolivianos (YLB) President, Carlos Ramos, announced that four Chinese companies, namely Citic Guoan, Tbea Group, CATL BRUNP & CMOC (CBC), and Fusion Enertech, have successfully conducted tests of their Direct Lithium Lithiation Extraction (DLE) technology in Bolivia’s Potosí and Oruro salt flats. These companies participated in YLB’s international tender for EDL technology selection, and so far, CBC is the only one that has signed an agreement with the Bolivian government.
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Brazil and China seal new trade agreements
Brazil and China have jointly announced the establishment of a Clearing House to facilitate business transactions and loans between the two nations, bypassing the need for the U.S. dollar. The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China will serve as the operating bank for the Clearing House in Brazil, enabling Brazilian and Chinese businesses to conduct transactions and loans using the yuan instead of exclusively relying on the dollar, as it has been the case until now.
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EPM signs contract with Chinese company to promote solar energy project in Colombia
The Colombian company EPM has signed a contract with Powerchina International Group Limited, Colombia branch, to implement the Tepuy Photovoltaic Solar Park, its first large-scale renewable energy project in Colombia. This non-conventional renewable energy project will contribute 83 megawatts of renewable energy to the National Interconnected System (SIN), which could supply a city of 400,000 inhabitants.
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Sodium-ion batteries: the new China-driven alternative to replace lithium
The Chinese company JAC presented its first electric car powered by a sodium-ion battery, a much more affordable material than lithium. Sodium-ion batteries are the focus of scientific attention given their potential to dethrone lithium as a key mineral in the development of electromobility, which in the future may affect the countries that make up the “lithium triangle” in Latin America.
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Chinese Minister of Environment highlighted Costa Rica’s contribution to COP15.2
Huan Runqiu, President of COP15 and Minister of Ecology and Environment of China, sent a formal note to the Minister of Environment and Energy of Costa Rica, Franz Tattenbach, to highlight the work of the Costa Rican team at the United Nations Biodiversity Summit (COP15.2). In the message, he acknowledged Costa Rica’s great contribution to achieving the agreement to include the 30×30 target presented by the High Ambition Coalition, which has significantly increased the visibility of COP15 and the conservation of global biodiversity. The COP15 President highlighted the dedication, determination, and leadership of the Costa Rican team during the COP15.2…
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Boost from China and growing demand: Electric car market in Peru

Photo: Electric Car recharging.jpg. By: Michael Movchin/Felix Müller. Source: WikiCommons. SUNARP figures indicate that that the sale of electric and hybrid vehicles in Peru has grown significantly in recent years. In 2022, 2,680 units of these vehicles were sold, representing an increase of 84.21% over the previous year. Conventional hybrids were the most marketed, followed by pure electric and plug-in hybrids. Despite these advances, the Peruvian market still faces challenges regarding access to credit and the lack of charging stations. China leads the global EV market, thanks to its industrial development and extensive network of charging points. Adoption of these…

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Chinese vehicles landing in Latin America

Photo: 2015 BYD e6 “Taxi”. By: harry_nl. Source: Flickr. Several Chinese vehicle manufacturers have begun to see Latin America as an important place to establish new plants. In late 2022, Build Your Dreams (BYD) announced that it would be building three new factories in Sao Paulo, Brazil; two will produce chassis for buses, trucks, and automobiles in October 2024, and the third will process lithium and iron phosphate in January 2025. BYD seeks to impact the regional market in Latin America with the construction of these plants, “We will bring a full range of BYD’s passenger NEVs to 17 countries,…

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A Chinese company will invest US$120 million in lithium production in Jujuy, Argentina
The Chinese company Tsingshan Mining Development S.A. will invest US$120 million to install a hydrogen chloride and sodium hydroxide manufacturing plant in Jujuy, Argentina, to produce lithium carbonate. Construction work is expected to last 18 months and employ more than 1,000 people for the construction period, and some two thousand skilled workers during its operational stage. Tsingshan Holding Group Co., Ltd. operates in the Mining and Metals sector, mainly in the stainless-steel industry.
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Chinese automaker prepares vehicle plant in Mexico
n April 2023, Jetour will market two gasoline-powered SUVs imported from China. By the end of the year, it will introduce a hybrid unit and in 2024 it will invest in the plant for combustion and electric vehicles. The brand is currently lobbying with different governments – among them Aguascalientes and Guanajuato – to define an investment that could reach 1 billion dollars.
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Ecuador’s Public Prosecutor’s Office to file bribery charges in Sinohydro case after four-year investigation
The Ecuadorian Attorney General’s Office will finalize the investigation of the so-called INA Papers. After almost four years of investigation, the entity has renamed the process the Sinohydro case. The investigation focuses on a criminal structure that allegedly collected $76 million in bribes to the Chinese company Sinohydro, responsible for the construction of the Coca Codo Sinclair hydroelectric power plant during the government of Rafael Correa.
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China-Colombia relations are at an all-time high
Ingrid Chaves, director of the Colombian-Chinese Chamber of Commerce, spoke to Portafolio about the progress of diplomatic relations with China and the changes expected with the new government: “this year marks 43 years since the beginning of diplomatic relations and before the pandemic, China became the country’s second partner in trade and the first Asian investor in Colombia,” said Chaves.
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Huawei in Argentina sanctioned by customs due to undeclared import of software
Huawei’s Argentine subsidiary is being fined by the Argentine Customs for not declaring the import of software, which resulted in unpaid taxes amounting to US$ 28 million and a fine of US$ 2 million. Argentine Customs argued that the Chinese company could not have imported equipment without purchasing the software and without paying the license fees to the parent company in China.
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Chinese company BYD supports Colombia for sustainable mobility
he Chinese company Build Your Dreams (BYD), a pioneer in providing electric vehicles to Colombia since 2012, expressed its intention to act as an ally to meet the Colombian government’s expectations regarding the progress in the transition to clean energy, with special emphasis on the mobility issue. In an interview with Xinhua, BYD’s general manager in Colombia, Juan Luis Mesa, recalled that the company has offered effective zero emission solutions in more than 70 countries.
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China, a giant that threatens Ecuador’s tuna supply
While Ecuador continues to be the European Union’s main supplier of tuna loins, China is fast closing in to take over the top spot. Despite the absence of any trade agreement, the European bloc is increasingly shifting its purchases to the Asian country. Ecuador’s share of the tuna market has fallen from 32% to 26%, while China’s grew rapidly from 9% to 24%, between 2015 and 2022.
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Minerva and high Chinese demand
Minerva affirmed that it will continue to meet Chinese beef demand through four slaughter units, three in Uruguay and one in Argentina. This follows a confirmed case of mad cow disease in the state of Pará in Brazil. Minerva, South America’s leading beef processor and exporter, present in Colombia, Chile, and Paraguay, assured that the strategy will prevent its market share from being affected as China is the largest importer of Brazilian product and has a protocol for suspending business in the event of cases of atypical Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, something that has already occurred in the past.
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China adds road concession to Chile’s infrastructure portfolio
The Chilean government awarded China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) the second concession for the Chillán-Collipulli section of Route 5, for an investment of close to US$600 million, further expanding China’s presence in the infrastructure sector in the South American country. The concession includes the construction of a four-lane access road, the widening of 18 km of the existing road, the replacement of 14 bridges, and the repair of 48 others.
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The Red Cross Society of China donates US$100,000 to help fight forest fires in Chile
China’s Red Cross has donated US$100,000 to the Chilean Red Cross to help areas affected by the forest fires that have ravaged the country’s south-central area. China’s ambassador to Chile, Niu Qingbao, made the announcement at a press conference at the Chilean Red Cross headquarters in Santiago, adding that the Chinese Embassy in Chile is collaborating with the Chilean Association of Municipalities to provide support.
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Ambassador of Beijing in Panama handed over tactical equipment
The Chinese ambassador to Panama, Wei Qiang, delivered 6 thousand ballistic vests and 6 thousand tactical helmets valued at 4 million dollars to the Panamanian Ministry of Public Security, to “strengthen the cooperation agenda between the two nations.” The Naval Air Service and the National Border Service will receive 1,000 cases and 1,000 bulletproof vests each, while another 4,000 helmets and 4,000 vests will be delivered to the National Police.
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Economic and technological ties between China and Argentina: a review of their “strategic cooperation”
A U.S. non-governmental organization has published a report on the cooperation between Argentina and China in aerospace development. The report, entitled “The Chinese Communist Party in Argentina: The International Engagement of China’s Space Industry,” explains the hierarchical responsibility that the Communist Party and the People’s Liberation Army have in defining China’s internal economic rules and global strategic plans in projects such as those in Neuquén and San Juan.
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China and Brazil agree to use the yuan in cross-border transactions

Photo: Chinese yuan. By: faungg’s photos. Source: Flickr. On February 7, China’s central bank informed that it signed a memorandum of cooperation with its Brazilian counterpart for the use of the yuan – the Asian country’s national currency – in border transactions. As explained in a brief communiqué, the agreement will streamline the operations of companies and financial institutions in both countries, as well as bilateral trade and investment. In effect, the agreement gives greater strength to the yuan or renminbi as an alternative currency in international business, given the proliferation of U.S. restrictions on the use of the dollar.…

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Chinatown in Santo Domingo

Photo: Barrio Chino: By: Apex travel. Source: Wiki commons Santo Domingo’s Chinatown has become an important cultural meeting point between China and the Dominican Republic. Inaugurated in 2008, the neighborhood has restaurants offering both Chinese and Dominican dishes, as well as supermarkets selling Chinese products, a temple, and a Chinese language school. There are also fairs every weekend where visitors can learn about Chinese culture and cuisine, and there are parks and fountains where people can relax. Santo Domingo’s Chinatown is a living testimony of the union and cultural exchange between the Dominican Republic and China that began with its…

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China and Mexico: 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations

Photo: Cena de Estado. By: Presidencia de la República Mexicana. Source: Flickr. On the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Mexico and the People’s Republic of China, we share the introduction of an article published during the third quarter of 2022 through the China and Latin America Network: Multidisciplinary Approaches (REDCAEM). In this section, the author highlights that, although the relationship between the two countries is not as intense as it is with other countries in the region such as Brazil, Chile, Argentina or Peru, trade between Mexico and China has been on the…

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China outranks Colombia, Brazil and Peru as the largest Amazonian fish producer
In 2020, 59,400 tons of this species were produced in the Asian country, while Colombia produced 33,000 tons, Vietnam: 23,000, Peru: 2,100, and Brazil: 1,800. This is due to the fact that China, together with other Southeast Asian countries, has not only focused on fish production for human consumption, but has also become a leader in breeding Amazonian ornamental fish.
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BYD in Chile
The Chinese company BYD has recently signed an alliance with the Chilean company Astar, in order to distribute electric vehicles for the first months of 2023 in Chile.
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Espejo de Palabras
The end of October saw the launch of the television program Espejo de Palabras (Mirror of words), a joint production by Télam and the Argentine National News Agency, television agencies of Argentina, and CGTN of China.
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Dragon Boat Race in Panama
Dragon boat racing is a traditional Chinese sport in which several teams compete against each other in racing boats. This sport found its way to Panama and the Dragon Boat Race was held in Amador, Panama City.
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China’s presence in South American seas
the hegemonic presence of the United States (US) in South America is diminishing, especially in relation to its presence in the region’s oceans. This is due to China’s increased presence in the different South American trade routes and the infrastructure works it is involved in.
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The latest on InaPapers
The ongoing investigation by the Ecuadorian authorities has led to the raid of the offices of Coca Codo Sinclair, a hydroelectric plant built in Ecuador. The construction of this plant involved Sinohydro, a Chinese state-owned company.
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Peru subscribes to APEC environmental commitments
Working in conjunction with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, Peru’s performance in the area of sustainable development has been strong. This was evinced by Peru’s reiteration, in the most recent APEC forum, to establish and implement sustainable food systems and food security for its citizens.
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Nicaragua and China, ever closer
Nicaragua’s Vice President, Rosario Murillo, has stated that China will grant a disbursement of USD $60 million for the development of a housing construction program. This disbursement is coordinated by the China International Development Cooperation Agency.
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