Brazil, Peru, China plan trans-South American railway

Anadolu Agency, 5/9/2015

Brazil, Peru and China are working on an outline agreement to create a new railway that would cross South America, the Folha de S.Paulo newspaper reported Tuesday.

The train line would cross the continent, linking Brazil’s Atlantic coastline with the Pacific Ocean in Peru, and in part boost commodity exports.

Preliminary reports estimate the Transoceanic Railway would cost at least $10 billion, and the Brazilian government hopes Chinese businesses will bid for sections of the project.

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For Labor Market, Brazil Becomes China

Kenneth Rapoza – Forbes, 9/25/2014

The unemployment rate in Rio de Janeiro state, home to 16.5 million people, is just 3%. It’s never been so low. It’s almost as if Brazil has developed some sort of China-style full-employment policy. On a national level, unemployment is just 5%. By comparison, China’s official unemployment rate is a little over 4%.

When it comes to unemployment statistics, Brazil has become China.

Brazil’s economy is slowing. It entered into a technical recession in the second quarter, defined by back-to-back quarters of economic contraction. China’s economy is slowing, with Barclays Capital economist Jian Chang in Hong Kong expecting Beijing to lower its official GDP target to 7% instead of 7.5%. Yet, miraculously, unemployment is just 4.1%, unchanged year over year.

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Brazil Suffers Slow Growth With Lula China Policy Sowing Doubts

Jessica Brice, Ney Hayashi and David Biller – Bloomberg, 9/21/2014

In 2004, Brazil’s then-President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and 400 executives went on a six-day trip to China. The mission was simple: Encourage companies to strengthen ties with the Asian nation to bolster growth at home.

A decade later, ties between Brazil and China have never been stronger. Growth at home is stagnant.

Lula’s decision to court China and at the same time spurn some U.S. efforts to bolster trade has led to a dependence on the commodity-hungry nation and deepened a drop in manufacturing. In May 2004, the month Lula visited China in what he called his government’s “greatest trip,” manufactured goods made up more than half Brazil’s exports and commodities less than a third. Last month, industrialized goods had plunged to 37 percent and raw materials made up almost half.

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Brazil needs to keep pace with rise of “China 2.0”

Ji Ye (Xinhua) – English.people.cn, 09/09/2014

Brazil needs to develop a strategic vision in order to cooperate with China in a new era, said Marcos Troyjo, a Brazilian economist and co-director of the BRICLab at Columbia University, in a recent exclusive interview with Xinhua.

According to Troyjo, the way China’s economy progressed over past 30 years following thecountry’s reform and opening-up policies is called “China 1.0.”

During that period of time, China took advantage of public-private partnership, cheap workforce and a favorable approach to foreign capital to become the largest manufacturing park in the world. According to Troyjo, China has now entered a new stage, which he calls “China 2.0,” and itshould no longer rely on governmental investment and foreign trade to simulate its economic development.

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Can China-Brazil trade keep up its promising momentum

Zhang Fan – China Daily, 8/25/2014

The world is facing overwhelming change and the rise of China is among the key factors, said Marcos Troyjo, a Brazilian economist and co-director of the BRICLab at Columbia University, at a conference hosted by Brazilian law firm Demarest in Sao Paulo on Aug 19.

Troyjo said China has entered a new stage, what he calls “China 2.0”. Compared with the 30 years following the county’s Reform and Opening-up policies of 1978, China can now no longer rely on governmental investment and foreign trade to simulate its economic development.

China 2.0 needs to alter its economic development, reduce overproduction and enlarge its importation, said Troyjo, which could mean great opportunities for Brazilian industries.

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China Touts Its Importance In Brazil

Kenneth Rapoza – Forbes, 8/18/2014

Chinese diplomats in São Paulo reminded the locals just how important that country is to Brazil.  And doesn’t Brazil know it.

Four years ago, China became Brazil’s leading trading partner, surpassing the U.S..  So far this year, Brazilian companies, led by commodities exporters, shipped $28 billion worth of goods to China compared to $20 billion to the U.S.

The two BRIC economies “should further advance current ties to make the partnership a model for interaction between developing countries,” Chinese Consul General Chen Xi reportedly said in São Paulo on Aug. 11 during an event to celebrate the 40th anniversary diplomatic ties between China and Brazil. The ceremony was co-hosted by the City Council of Sao Paulo and the Brazil-China Friendship Association. It was attended by about 200 that included entrepreneurs and Chinese and Brazilian officials, the China Daily reported from Brazil’s biggest city.

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China, Brazil look to redirect climate talks

Natalie Obiko Pearson – Business Report, 8/11/2014

China and Brazil are looking for ways to redirect the global climate debate, which they say unfairly accuses developing nations of delaying limits on fossil-fuel pollution.

China wants to blitz attendees at UN-led climate talks with pamphlets touting the clean energy gains made by the world’s largest emitter of carbon dioxide. Brazil wants more recognition for slowing destruction of the planet’s biggest rainforest.

“We must work on how we sell ourselves better, how we sell our positions to the world,” Francisco Gaetani, Brazil’s Deputy Environment Minister, said in Delhi on Friday with counterparts from China, India and South Africa.

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