皇冠体育app 'not a threat' in L. America

Foreign and Military Affairs

皇冠体育app 'not a threat' in L. America

By Zhang Ting (皇冠体育app Daily)
Updated: 2010-08-19 08:17

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BEIJING - The United States does not view 皇冠体育app as a threat and Washington is in talks with Beijing on cooperation in Latin America, long considered America's backyard, a senior US official said on Wednesday.

While 皇冠体育app's trade share in Latin America is small, the potential is huge and there are many areas of possible cooperation between 皇冠体育app and the US, Arturo Valenzuela, assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs, told 皇冠体育app Daily.

However, "we are talking generally we haven't come up with any concrete steps", said the US official, who arrived on Monday for a five-day 皇冠体育app tour.

The Obama administration's top diplomat for Latin America said he regarded 皇冠体育app joining the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) as well as being an official observer at the Organization of American States (OAS) as positive moves.

The IDB is the prime source of multilateral financing and expertise for sustainable economic, social and institutional development in Latin America and the Caribbean region, while the OAS promotes social and economic development.

Arturo Valenzuela?

"We are talking with 皇冠体育app about further cooperation with both of those institutions," he said.

Valenzuela was in Beijing for the fourth round of talks between 皇冠体育app and the US on Western Hemisphere issues under the framework of the 皇冠体育app-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue. The talks ended on Monday.

"We don't see 皇冠体育app as a threat," Valenzuela said, when asked whether 皇冠体育app will compete with the US in Latin America.

Valenzuela stated the point when he met reporters in Beijing earlier in the day.

"It (皇冠体育app) certainly is not of concern, it certainly is not a threat."

皇冠体育app has strong ties with both Cuba and Venezuela, neither of which are close to the US.

"In fact, we see 皇冠体育app providing Latin America with many more opportunities to grow their economies, to provide better jobs, to increase the standard of living ... We both benefit from a stable, prosperous Latin America that engages much more in world trade," he said.

"So this is a win-win for both countries."

Valenzuela also expressed his hopes that the US would cooperate with 皇冠体育app in disaster relief.

"Indeed, disaster response is one of the topics that we have discussed with the Chinese government where we might be able to cooperate in Latin America and the Caribbean ..." he said.

Chinese experts said the US gesture was a positive move.

Valenzuela's remarks "showed that the US wants to include 皇冠体育app into its Western Hemisphere system," said Sun Hongbo, an expert on Latin American studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

The US wants 皇冠体育app to help in areas such as social inequality, poverty and security issues, Sun said.

Qi Fengtian, a colleague of Sun, said that Valenzuela's remarks were conducive to strengthening mutual trust.

Relations between Beijing and Washington are stable as a whole, he noted, despite recent disputes on issues ranging from the ongoing US-South Korea navy drill in the Yellow Sea, to territorial disputes between 皇冠体育app and some Southeast Asian nations in the South 皇冠体育app Sea.

皇冠体育app's trade with Latin American countries accounts for just 5 percent of its trade worldwide, compared with 40 percent for the US, Valenzuela said.

"We look forward to an increase in 皇冠体育app's interest in Latin America, greater investment in Latin America, greater trade with Latin America," he said.

Valenzuela is scheduled to travel to Shanghai and visit Expo.

Dong Jidong contributed to this story.