The Western media have made accusations that China's trade with Latin America has hurt the interests of the countries involved. These are groundless, says an article in People's Daily. An excerpt follows: 

Economic relations between China and Latin America developed smoothly in 2004. Statistics show that the total trade volume of imports and exports stood at US$40 billion, an increase of 49.3 percent over the previous year. By the end of 2004, China's investment overseas had reached US$37 billion, half of which was in Latin America. Countries in the region are glad to cooperate with China economically.

However, the Western media have recently made a string of incorrect assumptions on China's role in economic activities in Latin America.

Some media seem to regard the progress of Sino-Latin American trade as the result of a large-scale dumping of China's products into Latin America.

But statistics tell the truth. They show that the robust growth of Latin America's exports to China have contributed a lot to the continent's economic development.

According to statistics from the United States, the Latin American economy grew by 5.5 percent last year, the largest increment since 1980. Its exports to China increased by 22.4 percent, higher than its growth of imports at 19.8 percent. Exports from Latin America to China were US$21.785 billion, and imports from China US$18.242 billion.

Some Western media even tried to distort China's import of raw materials from Latin America, saying it was a kind of neo-colonialism.

It is widely known that for a long time, exports from Latin America were mainly agricultural products, which heavily depended on the demand of developed countries. However, due to trade protection and technological barriers set by developed countries in recent years, Latin America was unable to export so much in recent years.

So, the region began to see China as a new market with great potential and was eager to cooperate.

China imports mineral and agricultural products from Latin America. These products show the competitive edge of Latin America in the international marketplace. And China exports light industrial products of high quality and low prices, which are welcomed by the Latin Americans.

In this way, China's trade with Latin America benefits both sides. Such economic activities have not hurt the interests of Latin America.

Reports by some Western media expose some Western countries' ambitions to limit the development of Latin America and China, and protect their own vested interests in Latin America.

(China Daily March 3, 2005)