Argentina plays the Chinese card

[bemildred]

Just shredding the Monroe Doctrine now.

Argentine Foreign Affairs Secretary Rafael Bielsa confirmed this Sunday significant Chinese investments in energy, railways and infrastructure, as well as South Korean financial support, the first credit since Argentina defaulted at the end of 2001.

Argentine Minister R. Bielsa
In an interview with a Buenos Aires radio Mr. Bielsa said that since President Kirchner’s visit last June to China with a delegation of 200 businessmen, Beijing and Buenos Aires have been working “in several bilateral agreements related to energy, railways and basic integration infrastructure”.

“As to South Korea it’s a financial investment with the purpose of generating new credit lines for the production sector, which signals the end of our credit isolation since defaulting”.

Mr. Bielsa thus confirmed the insistent rumours last week in Buenos Aires which anticipated a “mega-announcement” when Chinese president Hu Jintao officially visits Argentina next November 16.

MercoPress

[slappypan]

1. Stuff that in your Monroe Doctrine

and smoke it.

[amandabeech]

2. And kiss your agricultural exports goodbye.

All those farmers in the red states might find this an interesting development. I wonder if their trade journals are going to carry this story?

I believe that China is in Brazil, looking for cheap soybeans, which Brazil has in abundance. The only problem is that the beans must be hauled out of the hinterlands by truck, not train, and are completely dependent on chemical fertilizers, all of which must be trucked in, together with seed. The hot climate breaks down humus in the soil very, very quickly, sometimes severely limiting fertility, just like it does in the tropical scrub land that the soybean fields replace.


In the U.S., much of the crop is shipped long distances by train, and some of our soil is still fertile enough to produce some beans without nitrogen fertilizer, and the phosphate fertilizer is still produced here.

And of course, the Chinese are purchasing Venezuelan crude.

Edit: I guess that I'm really going to hell with this post, #666!

I suppose that the Chinese are also looking to lock up Chilean produce and copper.

[democracyindanger]

8. More about Brazilian soybeans

than any one person should know. You must be some sort of Brazilian soybean addict.

[amandabeech]

10. Nope. Just a former rural American

interested in the trade deficit and maintaining a sufficient number of people here who know how to farm.

[AP]

3. Bush better start a war somewhere in Asia or South America or Wall St is

going to lose it's fascist hegemony.

[Delphinus]

6. Give him time, AP

he's not been sworn in again yet.

[newyawker99]

13. Hi Delphinus!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Tempest]

4. So while Boosh is isolating the world

The world is reaching out to China.

Can someone tell me how this is a good thing for the U.S.?

[Anakin Skywalker]

5. The Problem with Bush Lovers.

You expect dumb ass red state rednecks to grasp international politics and economics? :) Hell, they are too busy worrying about gay marriage and other "immoralities" to care that the world is NOT buying their crops. They have no real-life worries, just faith-based fears!

[RedCon1]

7. Why would farmers care about people not buying their crops?

I was under the impression that they were still getting paid not to grow crops in order to keep the prices inflated. That seems to be one of the only parts of the New Deal that the Neo-Cons don't want to destroy for some reason.

[hatrack]

9. No, subsidy structures are slowly evaporating - WTO non-compliant

Still some time to go, but go they will.

The official replacement is probably going to be the Conservation Reserve Program, which pays farmers not to grow in shelterbelts and buffer zones, but since that might actually improve water quality, wildlife habitat and soil retention, I can't quibble too much.

The other prop for agriculture will likely be enhanced and expanded "disaster" relief payments for this, that or the other thing.

[RedCon1]

11. Interesting

Farmers in my home state of Ohio claim every year that this year's crop was a bigger disater than last year's disaster. They'll be collecting all kinds of welfare if that's the case. I wish I could get paid for being a failure at my job.
P.S. Don't hate me because I'm from Ohio. Hate me because I live in Texas now!:D

[newyawker99]

14. Hi RedCon1!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[othermeans]

12. I wanted to export diesel generators to Central America

(diesel is relatively inexpensive in Central America) and talked to some Canadian and German friends in Honduras and they told me the Chinese already had cornered the market so don't even bother.

[PROUDNWLIBERAL]

15. New Zealand

I talked to a Member of Parliament here in New Zealand. They have tried to get trade deals with the United States, but Bush keeps putting up roadblocks because New Zealand is such a liberal country. The MP stated that they are now actively pursuing China as a major trade partner. He was saddened that years of historical friendship between New Zealand and the United States has been blocked by Bush.