| Abstract |
Economic growth in Asia-Pacific (especially China) has given Latin America the opportunity to build up its resilience and growth capacity. However, closer trade and investment ties with Asia has not necessarily lessoned the structural problems of the region but tended to entrench an export pattern based on natural resources. Instead, Latin America should seek integration in the world economy in a way that optimizes the benefits of its growing links with Asia while reducing the cost. LAC must act proactively to take advantage of the growing potential of South-South economic links and cooperation (in trade, FDI, finance, cooperation etc.) with Asia, redoubling their efforts to identify and capitalize upon the potential complementarities, and creating biregional business alliances, in search of innovation and human capital enhancement, trade diversification, as well as value aggregation and knowledge incorporation to exports (not only in manufactures but also in natural resources), as a foundation for more stable growth. |