Latin America not the US' backyard

China and Latin American countries are becoming increasingly linked through trade and investment. China is the second-biggest trade partner of the region - the United States being the biggest. But if Mexico, which has a huge trade volume with the US, is excluded from the equation, China would be the biggest trade partner of Latin America.

Besides, China is becoming the biggest aid donor in and lender to several Latin American countries, and an increasing number of Chinese tourists are visiting Latin America.

Urgent need to build infrastructure facilities