SAO PAULO, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Latin America and China have achieved an "interesting marriage" for development as countries in the region need infrastructure and Chinese companies seek to internationalize themselves, Brazilian economist Celio Hiratuka said on Monday.
Latin American countries can benefit specially from the important projects within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by China, said Hiratuka, a researcher at the Brazil-China group of the University of Campinas (Unicamp), in the state of Sao Paulo.
"Latin America lacks the infrastructure and China wants to internationalize its infrastructure companies. That allows an interesting marriage," the expert said in an interview with Xinhua.
Hiratuka said that this impels Latin America to "draw up a strategy to obtain the best benefits of its relationship with China."
The expert said that the China "does not seek to compete with the United States nor anyone else" in Latin America.
"China has a wide internationalization strategy in important sectors and does not seek to compete, but to strengthen the relationship with its partners," he said.
Unicamp launched the Center for China Studies on May 10 in a joint program with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
"This center allows us to overcome the barriers and opens up a greater understanding among Chinese and Brazilians. We have to know our main partner better," Hiratuka said.
"Brazil is and will continue being the main supplier of our region to China, but it will have to diversify its export agenda," he said.
"The bilateral relationship is very important in that sense. China has become an innovative country and a technological global leader," Hiratuka said, adding that Brazil expects to benefit in this aspect and to improve its science and technology.
