Flexible friends
China lends disproportionately to countries that lack other options
THE rise of China has changed every region. But it has reinforced patterns, too. China’s demand for commodities has entrenched Latin America’s position as a supplier of raw materials. The country guzzles oil from Venezuela and Ecuador, copper from Chile, soyabeans from Argentina, and iron ore from Brazil—with which it signed a corn-import deal on April 8th.
This article appeared in the The Americas section of the print edition under the headline "Flexible friends"
From the April 12th 2014 edition
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