China in South and Central America

Chile

• Some protests led by workers have had as their main grievance the sale and transfer of traditionally national enterprises to Chinese hands. An attempt in March 2007 by Chinese-owned Minmetals to buy a significant share of the Gaby mine in Chile, for example, was met by heavy resistance by the Federation of Copper Workers (FTC), whose membership surpasses 14,000. The agreement with Codelco, the largest copper producer in the world, was assessed by FTC president Raimundo Espinoza as having “a ton of errors.” The standoff has yet to be resolved, but Espinoza is confident that Chilean President Michelle Bachelet shared his feeling that Codelco was not for sale.

Cabieses, Manuel. The New Chinese Engagement With Latin America: Understanding Its Dynamics and the Implications for the Region Nikolas Kozloff. 12 April 2007.

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