China in Foreigners' Eyes

Latin America should learn from China's experience

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-11-19 16:16

MEXICO CITY ?-- China has accomplished unprecedented achievements during its 30 years of reform and opening-up, and Latin America should learn from its experience, a Mexican scholar says.

Enrique Dussel Peters, coordinator of the China/Mexico Studies Center at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, recalled his March trip to southern China's booming coastal city of Shenzhen during a recent interview with Xinhua

He said the city's glittering skyscrapers, wide streets and busy traffic left him with the illusion of wandering in Houston, a prosperous ?US high-tech city. Dussel said Shenzhen, which was a desolate fishing town 30 years ago, is a prime example of fast-developing China over the past three decades.

During that period, China, after the devastating 10-year Cultural Revolution, has evolved from a root-and-branch backward country to one enjoying a high reputation in the world because of its eye-catching progress in foreign affairs, society and culture, and the economy.

Dussel said Latin America can learn from China's unique and valuable development model.

To be different from Latin American countries, he said, China has put more investment into scientific and technological innovation besides providing cheap labor for foreign companies and attracting overseas investments.

Products with the brand "Made in China" have included many high-tech fields such as electronics, digital information, telecommunications, autos, computer software and space technology, the scholar pointed out.

He said, for example, that Chinese autos have been more and more welcome in Mexico, Brazil, Chile and other countries in the region, but Latin America, a long-time manufacturing base for the European and US auto industries, has yet to have an independent auto brand.

Dussel said China has not simply copied the development pattern of other Asian countries that did well earlier in economic development.

"Under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, China has walked ahead along an unparalleled development path," he added.

Many Latin American countries have reached the consensus that they should learn from China's experience and boost cooperation with the country, the scholar said.