China's economy has grown at its slowest pace in three years as investment slowed and demand fell in key markets such as the US and Europe. GDP rose by 7.6% in the second quarter, compared with the same period a year ago. That is down from 8.1% in the previous three months.
China’s consumer-price inflation eased to a 29-month low in June, giving Premier Wen Jiabao more room to relax economic policies after the second interest-rate cut in a month. The consumer price index rose 2.2% percent from a year earlier, the National Bureau of Statistics said in Beijing. Producer prices dropped 2.1%.
Bank of China plans to cash in on the expanding bilateral trade between China and Brazil and the recent currency swap agreement between the two central banks.
Uruguay’s government is going forward with plans to build its first deepwater port along the Atlantic coastline in a place called “La Angostura”, an investment estimated in over 700 million dollars and which it wants to use as a platform to begin exporting iron-ore to China.
China and Chile upgraded their bilateral ties to a strategic partnership and expect to double trade in three years once the bilateral free trade area agreement is completed with investment related supplementary accords.
China has offered to set up a 10 billion dollars credit line for Latin American countries to support infrastructure projects in the region. The proposal was made by China's Premier Wen Jiabao as he wrapped up his visit to the region with a conference at the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and Caribbean, ECLAC, main offices in Santiago de Chile.
Argentina signed with China a raft of mostly farm-related agreements at a ceremony on Monday in Buenos Aires attended by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and his Argentine president Cristina Fernandez.
A memorandum of understanding with Mercosur and a deep sea port to the east of Uruguay were two of the main issues addressed by visiting Chinese PM Wen Jiabao with President Jose Mujica revealed the Executive Deputy Secretary.
At a reception for visiting Chinese PM Wen Jiabao, President Cristina Fernández ratified the strategic alliance between China and Argentina and highlighted that “there are new global realities” of which Argentina wants to be part.
The Chinese delegation of Prime Minister Wen Jiabao that spent over a day in Uruguay and signed several cooperation agreements felt “disappointed” with the fact that the Foreign Minister was not present during the visit.