Bharath chosen for investment talks in China

Minister of Trade, Industry, Investment and Communications Vasant Bharath will be one of only three ministers from Latin America to hold high-level bilateral investment meetings at the 6th Latin America China Investors Forum (LACIF), a release from Latin Finance said yesterday.

“China and Latin America are set to enter a new chapter in their economic relationship,” Latin Finance said. A solid base built on China’s demand for Latin American natural resources has evolved into a much deeper bond around Latin America’s changing demographics and abundance of natural resources, the forum organiser said.

As the pace of trade and investment rapidly increases, governments and companies from China and Latin America are becoming even more linked, forging new deals and making significant investments across different sectors, it said.

To identify opportunities and to explain this changing bilateral relationship, Latin Finance holds the Latin America China Investors Forum (LACIF) every September in Beijing. Now in its sixth year, the forum planner said the event “has cemented its position as the pre-eminent business and investment meeting connecting Latin America and China.” The forum is designed to connect Latin American companies, bankers, funds, advisors and government officials with senior representatives from Chinese state-owned enterprise, multilaterals, asset managers, banks, and government agencies.

This year’s forum will feature technical presentations and roundtables, including the viewpoints of three government ministers from Latin America: Uruguay’s Minister of Economy & Finance Mario Bergara; T&T’s Minister of Trade, Industry, Investment and Communications Vasant Bharath; and Paraguay’s Minister of Industry & Commerce Gustavo Leite.

According to the release, this year, more than 350 senior officials will attend—including more than 75 Chinese portfolio and direct investors who have already confirmed their attendance—from China CAMC Engineering, AZ Investment Management, China Investment Corporation (CIC), Goldwind International Holdings, CWE International Investment Corp, Income Partners, China Export Credit & Insurance Corporation (Sinosure), SK China, Pacifique Asset Management. Hydrochina Corporation, Sinosteel Corporation, and others.

LACIF features two days of panels, interactive presentations and private one-on-one meetings to connect participants and assist them “in the development of tangible business relationships,” the release said.

Latin Finance listed as other “confirmed speakers” from T&T, Central Bank Governor Jwala Rambarran; International Financial Centre chief executive officer Varun Maharaj; and Unit Trust Corporation executive director Ian Chinapoo. However, when contacted for more information, the Central Bank’s communications office denied Rambarran would attend. An e-mail from the Central Bank communications manager Charlene Ramdhanie said: “Governor is not traveling to China. This is conflicting with the Global Policy Forum, which you all will be invited to cover at the Hyatt. He did attend the New York City Investor meeting in (June) with Latin Finance.”

LACIF, which takes place September 11-12, at the Westin Chaoyang in Beijing, precedes the 8th China-Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) Business Summit to be held in Changsha City, (Hunan Province, China) on September 12 and 13.