Chinese President’s visit will aim at improving Latin links

Chinese President’s visit will aim at improving Latin linksOfficial reports have said that Chinese President Hu Jintao will visit Brazil, Chile and Venezuela this month in a move seen by analysts as part of a wider Beijing initiative to expand economic, energy and military links in Latin America.

It was also informed that Hu will be attending this year's summit of the BRIC group, made up of Brazil, Russia, India and China, that will be looking into alternatives to the U. S. dollar, Western pre-eminence and issues of nuclear security.

Hu's visit comes soon after Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin signed wide-ranging economic collaboration agreements in Venezuela with President Hugo Chavez. And later in the year Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will visit Iran to further cement bilateral ties and follow up on Iranian approaches to Latin American countries, including Brazil and Venezuela.

Hu's schedule in Brazil, Chile and Venezuela is packed with a series of agreements that will see increased Chinese collaboration in economic, energy, military and scientific fields.

Hu's visit was described by Chinese government officials in Beijing as an important part of China's strategy for closer ties with Latin American countries. Hu last visited Latin America in 2008, when he met with government leaders in Cuba, Costa Rica and Peru.

Since it first began high-level contacts in the region in 2004, China has been developing agro-business, energy and mining projects in Latin America.

Lately China has concentrated on securing energy deals to feed its expanding industrial base and finding new markets for its vast range of consumer goods, machinery and plants. Chinese-Venezuelan trade alone now amounts to about $10 billion, from $742 million in 2003. (With Inputs from Agencies)