
China's President Hu Jintao has warned that the global financial crisis could weaken his country's competitiveness. Mr Hu gave his warning at a meeting of the Politburo and his words have been made public by the state media.

Magallanes Region in the extreme south of Chile seems prepared to endure the effects of the coming global recession according to a report published Sunday by the country's main daily in Santiago, El Mercurio.

As was anticipated Mercosur senior members Argentina and Brazil proposed Friday an increase of the common external tariff, (AEC) for certain products, and as was expected junior members Uruguay and Paraguay rejected the idea.

Unemployment in the European Union 15 nations that share the Euro shot up to 7.7% in October ? the highest level in two years ? as growth dropped sharply. Inflation on the other hand plunged to 2.1% in November as oil came down from the record prices of last July.

LAN Chile is reviewing its investment plans given the expected deceleration in world air traffic next year, although the company remains particularly strong and resilient to outside turbulences, according to Enrique Cueto, executive vice-president of Chile's flan carrier.

British taxpayers will take a 57.9% stake in Royal Bank of Scotland after investors snubbed its £15 billion share offer, the bank said on Friday. RBS existing shareholders refused to buy the new stock because the bank's shares were trading below the 65.5p offer price announced in October.
Spain has launched an 11 billion Euro plan aimed at boosting the economy and creating 300,000 jobs. The plan, which represents 1.1% of Spain's GDP is part of the European Union's 200 billion Euro stimulus announced on Wednesday.
The slowdown of China's economy is gathering force as the global financial crisis spreads, anticipating rising unemployment and social unrest, admitted the country's top planner. The non written understanding of Chinese communist party supremacy in exchange for sustained growth has begun to sputter.

The Paris Club of creditor nations disclosed this week for the first time ever how much it is owed world wide, --330 billion US dollars--, with Cuba, Argentina and Peru top of the list in Latinamerica.
Brazil, the world's largest exporter of poultry and second-biggest supplier of soybeans, is seeking investments in ports and roads from China, its largest market for agricultural products.